The Question
by KricketWilliams
Summary: A simple question leads to thinking, which leads to... more questions. As usual, I don't own anything.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_AN: Start of something new. More my usual style. I was due for another long one! LOL...._

Sitting in the restaurant with JJ, Penelope started to choke on the bite of Caesar salad she just ate. Her eyes were huge and watering, and she was starting to sputter. JJ quickly moved behind her and started to pat her back, but Penelope put a hand up to ward her off.

"Oh, snap," JJ said, trying to lose the slightly amused look she had on her face and failing miserably. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"What?" Penelope said with a froggy voice the moment she was able to speak.

JJ began again. "I'm sorry I-"

"No!" Penelope interrupted. "The first thing you said. Say it again."

"Well, I know the answer now, so I don't need to ask."

"JJ." Garcia was scowling at her, making her cringe in her seat rather uncomfortably.

She began quietly, almost sheepishly. "I asked if you broke up with Kevin because you were sleeping with Morgan."

"Jennifer Jareau," Penelope said, sounding like her mother. "I cannot believe you went there! I mean, please, Derek, of all people!"

"Well, it was an obvious thought!" JJ said defensively. "The way you two act together, it was a natural thing to assume."

Confusion graced Garcia's face. "What do you mean, how we act together?"

JJ stared earnestly at her. "All that touching, kissing, laughing, sharing food, little nicknames?"

She watched as Penelope started to blush. "We're best friends, that's what-"

"Will and I don't even touch as much as you and Morgan," she said flatly. "Besides, I'm your best girlfriend, and you never kiss me or have me bite off of your same fork."

Penelope swallowed nervously, continuing to blush. "Derek is more touchy-feely than you are."

She burst out laughing. "Only with you! Come on, Penelope. In nearly six years, Morgan has _never_ hugged me, not even once, much less kissed me."

"On the top of my head; it's not like he plants one on my lips," she said, explaining. "And I kiss his cheek, 'cause I can't reach the top of his head."

JJ scoffed. "You're missing the point, Garcia. There is definitely something there between you. Much more than everyone else."

"A strong friendship," she said with a set look on her face.

JJ arched a brow at her. "Are you telling me you never once imagined what Morgan would be like in bed?"

Penelope seriously contemplated lying, but decided against it. JJ knew her too well, she'd guess anyway. She sighed and answered. "Well, yes, I have. I mean, well… look at him. He's beautiful. What woman worth her salt wouldn't?"

"I haven't."

"Oh, you haven't, huh?" This time P arched a brow. "You've never thought of those soft lips? Those wonderful long fingers, that awesome butt…. "

JJ watched Penelope's eyes darken. Just thinking about it was turning her friend on. Lord, it was obvious to anyone who bothered to look how much those two wanted each other.

JJ shook her head and answered her question. "No, I haven't."

"Really?"

"Oh, for goodness's sake. I'm not attracted to the man; you are." Penelope shook her head and JJ rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless. You really don't see it. There's something there between you two, more than what you are willing to admit."

"No, there isn't," Penelope said, her eyebrows knitting in thought. "Besides, I am not the kind of girl Derek Morgan dates anyway."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," JJ said, smiling over her coffee cup. "The way he stares at you, touches you and hovers by you; it's mutual attraction."

Penelope was very quiet as she ate the next bite of salad. She was obviously in contemplation and she looked rather sad.

"Garcia, I didn't mean to stir up something you don't want. I just thought now that you don't have Kevin, maybe there would be something more. Maybe think about trying that next step, if you haven't." JJ reached over and put her hand on Penelope's. "You both seem so good together; it's only a thought."

"I don't know what to think. I really don't." She looked up and met JJ's eyes and for a second looked sad, before she masked it with a silly grin. "Anyway, Derek's dating Monette right now anyway, bubble head of the month."

JJ smiled. "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her."

"Be glad," P said, laughing. "Trust me. Lots of flash, little substance."

JJ laughed too, then they continued to have their lunch, all other thinking waylaid for the moment.

* * *

Sitting at one of the square tables on the plane, David Rossi was having a rather heated discussion with Spenser Reid. It wasn't about anything serious, but it was a given fact both men wanted to win.

"Give it up, Reid," Rossi said, laughing lightly. "Age and cunning beats youth and skill."

"I would be fine _giving it up_, if your facts weren't twisted about this subject." Reid's voice was beginning to squeak excitedly; he was really quite into the argument. "You're… you're completely off base and utterly wrong."

"I know what I have heard and what I have seen in my fifty-five years on this planet." Rossi narrowed his eyes at Reid. "That accounts for more than what you have in your textbooks."

"He's got a point," Prentiss said. She was really trying not to get involved, but it was tough. Seriously, both men had good arguments, but she was cautioning on the side of Reid.

She wasn't going to tell him that, though.

"Okay. What about Prentiss and myself?" Reid said, raising both eyebrows and gesturing with his hands excitedly. When he spoke, he did so with his hands. "I consider Emily a very good friend, and I can ascertain that she feels similarly."

Reid glanced over at her and Emily smiled and nodded.

Rossi snorted. "Okay, Reid. Are you telling me Prentiss and yourself would be friends if you didn't work together?"

Color entered Reid's cheeks. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Well… I'm not certain. I mean Emily's not exactly the type of girl I…"

"Reid, just answer the negative before you get yourself in trouble," Prentiss said, glaring at him.

Reid hung his head, nearly having to admit defeat, when a light bulb moment happened. "I know! Morgan and Garcia! They're best friends. What about them?"

Prentiss and Rossi both burst out laughing.

Reid looked at them, evident confusion on his face. "What did I say that was funny?"

All of the uproar got Derek's attention from across the aisle. He was slouched across two of the leather seats, his headphones on. They didn't block all the sound, but they were close. Most of the time. Nothing was blocking that laughter happening.

"What the hell is so funny?" he asked, smirking over at the seated trio.

Rossi calmed down enough to talk to him. "We're having a debate on whether men and women can be friends. I told him no, because sex always gets in the way."

Derek's smirk grew more pronounced. "That's true in my case, a lot of the time. Women can't help themselves."

Prentiss rolled her eyes. "Please."

"Anyway, I brought up Garcia and yourself as a prime example of men and women being friends, and they started to laugh," Reid said with a scowl.

Derek looked confused. "Why?"

Prentiss laughed. "Come on. Everyone knows there's been sexual things between you and Garcia."

Derek scowled. "What? Hell, no."

"The way you talk?" Emily asked, looking surprised. "You two reek sexual energy."

"Hey, don't go there. That's all it is. Talk." Derek reiterated, frowning. "Besides, why would you people be discussing my love life? Or Penelope's, for that matter."

Derek scowled at them, then put his headphones back on.

Reid smiled, then stood. "I rest my case." He headed towards the front of the plane.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews, everyone. Thanks to the Chinese horoscope on the usbridalguide website. I don't own that either!......_

Wednesday, Penelope met Derek for lunch. It was something they always did; it broke up the monotony of the week to have something to look forward to in the middle. This week, they were meeting at a local Chinese restaurant. Derek wasn't in the office, he was working primarily from his phone and his truck that week.

Penelope sat, reading the placemat in front of her. It had Chinese astrological signs. She looked up Derek's birth year first. He was born in 1970, year of the dog. She giggled; when it came to relationships with women, he was indeed a dog at times. He was the first to admit that.

She continued to read. "_Dogs can be a bit overwhelming, due in part to their attentive natures. They can march in and take control of a situation, even when it doesn't involve them directly. They are bold, unafraid to disagree out loud about anything they feel is unjust or unfair."_

"Wow," she thought, getting a shiver. "That's Derek."

She looked further down the list to 1977, her birth year. She cringed. "Ugh. I'm a snake."

"_Fire Snakes can be a bit loud, speaking their minds and smothering you with their opinions. This does add a twist to his dynamic and vibrant character, as he is quite the extrovert. These Snakes have a great wisdom. They are intriguing communicators who leave you breathless after a conversation."_

She smiled smugly. "Not bad for a serpent!"

The part at the bottom caught her eye, _Romantic Pairings_. She knew she shouldn't do it. JJ had her thinking, which was never good. Not when it came to this and her best friend. Still, she couldn't help it.

_Dog+Snake= Love at first glance_.

She blinked, then looked at the reverse..

_Snake+Dog=Go for it!_

"What are you reading?" Derek said, sliding into the booth next to her.

Thank goodness he interrupted her line of thoughts; she was starting to sweat!

He always sat next to her, never across from her. That way, they could sample whatever goodies each other had on their plates. Penelope learned a long time back to always order the biggest portion; Derek would eat three quarters of whatever she had anyway,

"Horoscopes."

He scoffed. "I don't buy into any of that crap."

She sighed, then grinned. "Me neither."

"Did you order for us?" he asked. He usually had the same thing. He loved spicy food, the hotter the better. She was getting used to ordering her food hotter, too. She used to like mild everything, until she started eating lunch with Derek.

"Yep," she said. "General Tso's chicken for you, as usual, but I ordered something different."

His eyes lit up. "Ooh! What are we having?"

She touched the tip of his nose. "It's a surprise. You have to wait."

"Oh, that's torture." He crossed his arms and pouted. "I hate surprises."

She gave him a mock stern look. "You do not. Besides, they cook really fast here, so you won't have to wait too long."

"That's good, woman," he said, leaning closer to her. "Or I may have to torture you later."

A thrill ran up her spine and she looked at his eyes. They were teasing, with a hint of heat behind them. JJ's conversation from the other day popped into her mind, but she quashed it quickly.

She jumped back into teasing mode herself. "Ooh, you're finally going to spank me? Oh, goody!"

His eyes flared just a touch hotter. "You are one bad little girl."

She smiled coyly and opened her chopsticks. "And you love me for it."

The plates arrived at the table. "General Tso's and spicy three pepper shrimp."

She could practically see Derek's mouth water. He reached over with his chopsticks, picking up a succulent shrimp and bit half of it.

"Open," he said, holding the other half by her mouth. That was something they did all the time, sharing bites.

She took the bite he offered, smiling. "Good."

He nodded. He was watching her mouth. She licked her lips, feeling somewhat nervous. He kept staring.

She shoved him. "Derek, eat."

"Damn, girl, you make that look so good," he said, his voice a touch deeper than usual.

"Morgan, stop teasing," she said, laughing. "Or do I have to get the fire hose?"

"I'll eat," he said, focusing on the plates in front of him.

The conversation turned to what they usually talked about, work, relationships, the weather, politics. They talked about everything. Today, it ended up focusing mostly on relationships.

"So, about Monette," she said, picking up a pea pod. "Is she Miss Right?"

Derek smirked. "Miss Right Now, yes. Miss Right, no."

"Why not?"

"Really, we haven't been dating long enough for me to form a true opinion on her. She's gorgeous, nice to be around, fun enough in her own way." He shrugged. "I suppose she could be more someday."

"Good," she said, truly meaning it. She wanted Derek to be happy, to find someone who would love him the right way. He was the best man she ever knew, and she loved him.

"Anyway, I'm not ready to settle down, she doesn't want to change my ways, so she works. How about you and Lynch?" he asked, picking up some rice and dropping it in his lap. He sighed, wiping it away. "Any chance of you two reconciling?"

"To quote you," she said, smiling at the rice still stuck on his left leg. "_Hell, no_."

"I'm sorry about that." He was still trying to get the sticky rice off his leg.

She burst out laughing. "You are not. You hated Kevin."

He looked up and grinned guiltily at her. "You're right. I'm not sorry. I always thought you could do so much better, momma. "

"Thanks," she said, sighing. "I just wish I knew who that better person was."

For a moment, they just looked at each other, neither one able to say anything. It was an awkward moment, which was very rare between them. After awhile, he looked back at her plate, picking up a pepper strip.

"Well, baby girl," he said. "I hope you find what you want."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_AN: Off to a concert tonight ("Making a Memory" with Bon Jovi!), so I'm posting this early. Will answer reviews soon...._

Penelope felt like she was crawling the walls. The last two days were kind of awful. Once she returned from lunch with Derek, the team were called out on a case and now everything was busy and up in the air. It was Friday, she had her usual outing with Derek planned, but she wasn't even sure she if it was going to happen. They were still out of town as of seven o'clock.

She growled at her computer screen. The file she was trying to encrypt just entered into password protect. That meant an extra twenty or twenty-five minutes trying to break up the issue. She sighed. It was going to be a long night for her, too.

She was kind of disappointed. She was going to have to cancel pretty soon. It was already nine thirty, too late to do anything. She really looked forward to hanging with Derek, it was always a blast. They had a lot going on, the two of them. She couldn't put a finger on it, but whatever it was, they had it in spades.

She smiled for a second. Whatever it was, it wasn't what JJ eluded to Monday. She thought a lot about that and felt vindicated. She talked with him like she always did, no changes whatsoever, the whole week. She was quite satisfied. No reason to feel awkward, like she did after JJ mentioned it. They were exactly what she thought, best friends through thick and thin.

For a second, her mind trailed off where it really shouldn't. The man had thick and thin perfectly defined all by himself. Long, thick, strong fingers, thin t-shirts that showed off every perfect muscle. She could think of other things she thought were nice and thick…

Damn. She was doing it again. She used to do it a whole lot, fantasize about Derek in bed… or anywhere else she thought would be fun to make love to him at. It was a nightly occurrence her first two years in the BAU. After awhile, it slowed down, although she couldn't lie to herself and say it never happened anymore. It still did, only no where near daily.

She needed to stop this before it became dangerous to their friendship. Derek teased back with her, but that was all he was doing, flirting and teasing. The man was a dangerous flirt. Even at lunch on Wednesday, he made her think things, want things, but he quantified it.

She learned a long time ago Derek wasn't ready to settle down. He even said it. She didn't want to join the ranks again with all the women who wanted him. She did want him, but not to the point where she'd act on it. She didn't want to lose her heart. With a guy as wonderful as Derek, that would be easy to do.

Her phone rang. She pushed the button with her fuzzy pen. "The benevolent Goddess. Speak so I may grant you your wish."

"My wish is pretty easy, sweet lady," he said, his voice a low purr. "You, my house, and a big ass Chicago style Pepperoni pizza from Gino's in-" he paused for a moment "-forty five minutes."

"It's getting late, _mon cher_," she said. "Are you sure you still want to do this tonight?"

"Cinderella gotta be home by midnight?"

"_Au Contraire_, I have no deadlines," she said with a sigh. "However, who knows when you'll be back, and-"

"Turn around."

She took off her headset and turned to see Derek leaning against the doorframe, holding his phone.

"Hey, that was quick," she said, looking at him questioningly. "Did you teleport?"

A slow smile covered his lips. "I called from the entryway. We had turbulence, so I couldn't call earlier." He wandered over and put his hands on her shoulders, then leaned forward to kiss her on the top of her head. "I ordered the pizza already. I'm going to pick it up. My house in forty?"

He was close to her, so close she could see the tiny wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He smelled fantastic, some sort of woodsy, spicy thing he usually wore, along with a touch of mint. She looked up and noticed he was chewing gum, explaining the minty smell.

Her heart started to race, thinking about his mouth, that gum, his fingers, everything she didn't want to really be thinking about.

_Damn it, JJ_. She thought, her tummy starting to flutter. _Why now? How am I supposed to hang with him like normal when I am thinking like this?_  
_  
_Then the mint reminded her of something.

"As long as you make me a mojito," she said, thinking of the mintiest drink she could think of. "I want a mojito. A real one. With crushed mint, sugar, and booze. Lots of booze."

She sighed. It was a desperation thing, but she was going to need it to make it through tonight.

He laughed and stood back up. "Since when do you drink something hard like that?"

"Since tonight." Honestly, she'd never had one in her life. Now was a good time to start!

He pursed his lips. "Bad day, huh, baby?"

Why'd he have to pucker? That didn't make anything easier. She sighed and nodded.

He reached for her hands and pulled her onto her feet and into his arms. "Poor princess. I'll make it better."

She hugged him like she always did, resting her cheek against the firm muscles of his chest. She sighed. This was her best friend, she needed to knock it off and remember who he really was. They could be like they always were, she knew it.

She started to feel better, just standing there. She decided to tease him, like usual, and let out a satisfied purr. "Oh, sug, I have no doubt you'll make it perfect."

He released her rather suddenly. "Okay. I better get the pizza."

* * *

Derek growled on the way to getting the pizza. He was hard, uncomfortably so, all from holding his best friend. What the hell was he thinking? In an effort to pretend nothing was wrong, he went overboard and threw himself off the cliff. Now he had a stiff cock, a slight headache, and the promise of at least three hours with the reason for the aforementioned problems.

He took a deep breath and started to think of anything else besides Penelope Garcia. Unfortunately, just about everything reminded him of her. He did everything with her, she was his best friend, there was no way around thinking about this.

It was amazing how much he wanted her. He could kick Reid, Rossi and Prentiss for dragging things up again after all these years. He thought he did a damn good job hiding how he felt. She had a boyfriend, he wasn't panting after a woman that was taken. He was certain everyone thought they were just big talkers, big teasers.

One look at Rossi, and he knew he was dead wrong. He wanted to knock that smirk right off of Rossi's face. Rossi, who's reputation far out cried his, knew just by looking how much he thought about Penelope sexually.

Yeah, he wanted her. He wanted her for five years running. He wanted her before Lynch, during Lynch and now after Lynch. He wanted her enough he dreamt about her. He even thought there was a time she could be the one, thought he might be ready to settle down. Turned out she didn't want him. He tried and he failed.

That didn't mean she didn't turn him on, or that she didn't get turned on by him. He knewit with her little intakes of breath and her darkened eyes. He questioned seducing her, screwing the shit out of her, and letting the cards fall as they may. However, he respected her and loved her too much to do that. _If_ anything did happen, and that was a huge _if_, it would have to be mutual want and agreement.

So no matter how much he thought about her gorgeous ripe breasts and curvy ass, her perfect blonde curls and pouty red lips, he kept it under control. Just because Ross, Prentiss, and probably three quarters of the rest of the FBI, thought he already made love to Penelope, didn't mean he did.

He pulled up to the house. His lights were on; she was already there, setting up. It was something she always did: arrived early, changed and picked the movie. He hoped he had some mint leaves. He didn't want to let her down; she was really pushing for that drink. Nothing made Derek happier than to give Penelope exactly what she wanted.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_AN: Got home from my concert in such a good mood and decided to post this. As for P &D: Now we're cookin'…._

Derek opened his front door. Penelope was in her sweatpants, sweat socks and his old sweatshirt, bending over the DVD player in his living room. She kept the first two over at his house for occasions like this and always stole the first sweatshirt he had off the top of his laundry pile.

It was a necessity thing; they would watch movies and fall asleep on the couch. She'd always wake up, freezing cold. In particular, her legs and her feet. Pen wore skirts all the time; they were beautiful, but they didn't keep her warm.

He smiled to himself. God, how he loved her long, gorgeous legs. She'd wear fishnet stockings sometimes, showing little patches of skin he wanted to touch. Her legs were one of the many things he loved about her. Curvy, perfect, they were meant for wrapping..

Damn, he was doing it again. He was internally cursing Rossi and Reid again. This was a predicament. At this rate, he was going to jump the woman tonight and she'd never forgive him for it. He needed to get this under control, his tight jeans were not doing the trick. He decided to take a quick shower, a damn cold one, then he'd be okay.

"Pizza's here," he said in a sing song voice, bringing it into the living room. He kissed the top of her head."I'm going in the shower, then I'll be out."

Her eyebrows knit. "The pizza's going to get cold. Eat first, shower after."

He shrugged. "It'll be a quick shower. Go ahead and start without me."

"No," she said, sitting back on the couch with the remote. "I don't want to eat alone; I have to feed you my extra pepperoni. You know they always put too much on."

He repressed a sigh, thinking about her sweet fingers feeding him pepperoni. He wanted to suck those fingers into his mouth, swirl his tongue around the tips…

Shower. Definitely a shower.

"Save 'em, sweetness. I'll eat them after," he said, walking down the hall.

She pouted. "I'm hungry, love bug, but I can wait."

He took one look at her, sitting so patiently, and felt a pang in his chest. Damn it. She deserved her drink and pizza. She was a fantastic woman and a terrific friend. He needed to put her first and knock this feeling back where it belonged, where it's been for the past three years: the deep recesses of his mind.

Instead of going to his room, he detoured. He went into his kitchen, found some limes and some mint in his fridge.

_Someone went shopping before she came over_. He thought with a smirk. _That's my girl_.

He cut the limes, plopped them in massive glasses, tore up some mint, added a douse of sugar and mashed them up with a knife. Then he added ice, some lemon lime soda and a shit load of rum to the glasses.

He took a sip and gave a shudder. "Whew!" Strong, but good.

He wandered back into the living room and sat next to his girl. "Here," he said, handing her the drink.

"Done showering already?" she teased. He sat next to her; she leaned over on his outstretched arm and took a couple of sniffs. "That's okay; you still smell sweet."

"Well, thank you, Baby Girl," he said, grinning at her. He took another sip of his mojito and watched her take her first sip.

As he expected, she coughed and sputtered. "Holy cow! That's strong."

"Yeah, honey," he said, laughing. "That's a mojito. I'll drink it if you don't-"

"No," she interrupted, taking another smaller sip. "No, I want it."

He reached for a slice of pizza, took a big bite, then asked, "What are we watching?"

_"Sherlock Holmes."_

"Not a romantic comedy?" He arched a brow. "It's your pick tonight."

She leaned over and took a big drink of her mojito. It was minty, sharp, not smooth. She was proud of herself; this time, she didn't cough. "Nope. Not in the mood. Action adventure, that's my thing tonight."

Derek thought of a lot of _action_ and _adventure_ he could show her this evening. He took another sip of his drink, trying to douse that thought, too. It wasn't working. Not at all.

He glanced over at her. Her eyes were starting to get a little glassy. She was about a quarter of the way done with the big drink he made. He was pretty close, but she had him beat.

"Ah, you might want to slow down there on that drink, Angel," he warned with good intentions. "It's a big one meant to last the whole night long."

She just stared at him and blinked for quite some time. She blushed scarlet, then took another sip of the mojito.

Although her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were naughty. He thought about what he said and almost slapped his forehead. Now he had her thinking, too. This definitely didn't bode well for him. He took another big drink; this time he was the one coughing.

After that, it was quiet for a good long time in his living room. Neither of them dared to say a word. They ate, drank and became sort of interested in the movie. About half the movie and half of the humongous mojitos done, they started talking again.

She looked over at him, glossy eyed, obviously tipsy. "You know, he's kind of Reid-like."

Derek laughed. "Except with a sexual past."

"Yeah," she said. Then she looked at him. "Actually, Reid has a sexual past; did you know that?" She quirked a brow at him.

"Never would've guessed it."

"Not really exciting," she said with a pout. "Probably about as illustrious as mine."

He snickered. "Baby, come on. I don't buy that for a second. You're one of the sexiest women I know."

"But of course, _mon cher_," she said, putting one hand on her chest and the other on his knee. "But as far as sexual partners go, I'm more Reid than I am you."

"Hey," he said, scowling a touch. "I'm not exactly Hugh Heffner either."

She arched a brow at him.

"Damn, what is everyone's interest in my love life?" he muttered, shaking his head. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Just because I date a lot does not mean I screw a lot. I do not fuck every woman I date."

Her eyes widened. "Derek, I-"

"Hell, woman. I haven't had sex in six months."

She just blinked at him again.

"You were still hot and heavy with Lynch at that time, so I know you were screwing." He looked at her, one brow up. "So, technically, I think you have me beat."

She scoffed. "Once a week for two years probably doesn't even make a dent in your track record, Derek."

"Once a week?" he asked disbelievingly.

She nodded. She didn't think that was bad. She looked it up in a study published on line. That was average for established couples. "What's wrong with that? I mean, the first few weeks we did it twice, but then we had to work and we didn't get together as often."

He was obviously pissed. "That is a sin and a shame. If I had you for two years…." He trailed off, looking at her with the hottest, most blatantly sexual look he ever gave her in her life.

Her heart pounded. She knew she shouldn't ask, but she did anyway. "What would you have done?"

He gave the naughtiest little smile, full of promise and sin. "You really wanna know?"

She nodded, her whole body throbbing with anticipation. Boy, did she ever want to know!

"The first time I made love to you, it would be all night long. Not once or twice in a week or even once or twice in a day. Hell, no. As many times as I possibly could in that first night alone." He trailed his finger down her cheek. "I wouldn't want to sleep, because I'd miss out on watching you."

Her breathing and her pulse sped up, the throbbing in her core growing more insistent.

He continued. "We'd find out what we liked, where we liked to be touched, what we liked licked, sucked." He leaned closer, his voice huskier. "We'd know what positions worked. We'd try them all out, then we'd master our perfect rhythm, what worked for us alone. All in the first week."

She shuddered. "Oh, God, Derek."

He leaned even closer, his mouth by her ear. "Tell me to stop, Penelope. Tell me to stop thinking about this with you. Because right now, I want you more than I have ever wanted a woman in my whole life."

She turned her head to meet his eyes and he cupped her face in his hands. She felt his hot breath on her lips, the smell of mint and rum intoxicating to her senses. Her breaths were coming in short, shuddering pants.

His eyes were dark, hot and intense, very focused on her slightly parted mouth. His thumb touched her bottom lip, dipping inside to touch the moisture inside. He leaned forward, brushed his mouth against her open lips once, twice.

With a look of extreme regret, he sat back and lowered his hands. He shook his head, ran a hand over his face. "Baby, I'm sorry, I-"

He didn't get to finish. She launched herself into his lap and started to kiss him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_AN: Thanks as always for the reviews. Sorry about making you wait. I hope this is worth it..._

Penelope was dying. She had to kiss the man, had to experience what he was saying, even if it was just one night. She never wanted a man like she wanted Derek Morgan at that moment. Her whole body throbbed, ached, nearly screaming with want. Her head was spinning, partially from the powerful mojitos he made, but even more from the pure desire she felt.

Her mouth caught his, feeling that same tingling warmth that happened from the little brushes of his lips against hers earlier. His lips were all-consuming to her senses; even the slightest touches filled her with electricity. She moaned, her hands holding his shoulders, trying to press herself closer.

At that moment, Derek took over, and she was completely lost. There was no doubt at all who was going to be in charge when they were in bed. He was commanding, demanding and powerful. He wrapped his arms around her, leaned her back, and slanted his mouth over hers.

It was a wild, hot , carnal kiss. He slid his tongue into her mouth and she stroked hers against his. She was trembling, tingling, unlike anything she ever experienced with a kiss before. He completely controlled her, and she loved every moment of it.

He deepened the kiss seductively, not with force or pressure. She opened her mouth, inviting more feeling, more taste. Her hands came up to rest on his head, holding him near.

He broke the kiss, holding her against his chest for a moment. He put his fingers under her chin, turning her to face him. His dark eyes were glittering, primal.

When he spoke, his voice was gruff and thick. "Penelope, I want more tonight. I can't just tease. I want you too badly; I don't want to stop."

"Don't stop," she said, arching against his chest, seeking his mouth with hers. "I don't want you to stop."

"Oh, baby," he said, then his mouth was on hers, his hands were in her hair and he was kissing her again with the passion she craved.

She pressed herself even closer, drinking from his hot, sweet mouth. No one tasted like Derek. Beyond the rum and the mint was a decadent male flavor that curled her toes and budded her nipples. She could do this forever, exchanging beautiful kisses with him.

He slid his hands down to her waist, coming up under her sweatshirt. He cupped her breasts through the lace of her bra, and she gasped, leaning her head back. He brushed his thumbs over the peaks, then pinched them through the lace, drawing on them gently. His mouth fastened on the side of her neck, gently sucking and licking. She started to tremble and sway towards his hands.

He reached towards her bottom and lifted slightly, easing her towards her feet. She stood, shaking a little from want and loss of contact with his warmth.

"Come on," he said, standing next to her. He took her hand and started leading her down the hall to his bedroom.

Thoughts started to come crashing in. Was she really doing this, going that extra step with Derek? What would happen the next day, or the next? How would they feel about each other? She shivered again, but this time it wasn't from passion.

They reached his bedroom, a foot from his big bed. He looked at her, his eyes still hot, but with some warmth there that wasn't there a moment ago. He cupped her face in his hands.

"Penelope… baby," he murmured, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks. "I promise to make this really good. I love you, too much to jeopardize what we have together. But I need this…." His eyes darkened, his lips parted with a deeply indrawn breath. "I need you."

He drew her forward and kissed her again, urgent and demanding, like he was starved for her. He moved his hands under her sweatshirt to her back, touching, stroking her skin. She pressed herself forward, feeling her whole body opening to his demands.

She needed this more than he would ever know, too. She needed to be near him, to feel him and for him to feel her. She moved her hands to the waistband of his jeans, pulling his shirt out. She slid her hands up his shirt, over the taut muscles of his abdomen, to his sculpted chest. He stepped away for a moment, pulling his shirt over his head.

She took a long look at how absolutely stunning he was, then smiled and pulled her own shirt over her head. She looked back at him, saw the heat in his eyes as he stared at her breasts, and knew her look matched his.

He pulled her into his arms again, reaching behind her to unhook her bra. He slid it off, then brought his hands up to cup her breasts again. He brushed the tips with his thumb, slowly, lazily drawing circles that caused her nipples to become peaked.

She started feeling dizzy and hot again, but she didn't want to lose complete control. Not until she touched him. She reached for the button of his jeans. He stood stock still for a moment, letting her undo the button and the zipper.

It was a delicate task. Her fingers against the stiff bulge behind his fly was nearly his undoing. She was watching intently, like she was opening a gift she really wanted. He fought with everything in him the urge to throw her on the bed, rip her clothes off, and plunge into her. She was his best friend; she deserved so much better from him. He wanted her to experience everything he could offer her.

So instead, he stood still while her smooth, cool fingers touched and stroked his cock, feather light touches on his shaft. He was doing okay for awhile, until she started to explore more. When she gripped him in her hand, brushing her thumb over the spurt of wetness at the tip, he had to take over again. He removed the rest of his clothes, then started working on hers.

He slid his hands to her sweatpants and drew them off, falling to his knees in front of her. She was wearing adorable white underwear with little butterflies on them. They were innocent and sweet, not some practiced, planned thing like other women would wear. He slid his fingers along the edge, pulling them down her trembling thighs.

God, she was beautiful. He wanted to kiss every part of her, every last inch of her pink, passion-flushed body. He ran his hands up from the tops of her feet, over her ankles to the curve of her calf. Leaning forward, he kissed the inside of her knee, then licked the spot, causing her to shudder and sway.

She looked down at him, her eyes widening and her cheeks turning scarlet. She was embarrassed and turned on, too. It both humbled and irritated Derek. Obviously, no one ever paid homage to his Goddess the way she deserved. He was going to remedy that.

He slid his hands up the back of her legs to the sweet curve of her ass, pulling her a step closer.

She stiffened. "Derek, I-"

"Hush," he said, running his hands over her thighs. She was so soft and so excited; the scent and dampness of feminine arousal graced her inner thighs. She moved backward a step. He brought his hands up to grip her bottom and licked the top of her thigh.

"Oh, God," she cried, her legs shaking more as he moved one finger up to touch her. She closed her eyes, holding onto his shoulders. His finger began a rhythm, causing her to arch her hips.

He felt her coming apart. He became hyper aware of the woman in his arms. He wanted her to have it all. Every desire, every need met. She was that special to him.

Drawing out the last of her orgasm, he stood, lifting her and placing her on his bed. He joined her, then kissed her, kissed her neck, her jaw. He settled on her lips again; he could never get enough of her. It was different than any other woman. This was Penelope, and she was purely addicting.

He settled between her thighs, laving and sucking on her breasts, drawing the peaks into his mouth. She was moaning, writhing beneath him. She reached her hands down to capture his erection again, squeezing and kneading.

He reached for a condom, slid it on, and entered her. He thrust himself as deeply as she could take him, his eyes nearly rolling back with the pure ecstasy of the moment. She arched against him, wrapping her legs around him, as perfect as he knew they would be. He thrust harder, faster, losing control quickly. He intended on perfection and got wild, helpless abandon instead.

And it was magnificent.

Derek felt his orgasm approaching, the tingles starting to grow from his feet to his head, centering in his groin. He saw black, there was nothing but the rush of heat beginning. He heard her cry out, felt her clenching around him and his climax was wrenched from him, joining her in fulfillment.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews. You people rock!..._

Penelope woke, curled up on the warm, firm chest of Derek Morgan. She opened her eyes. He was still sleeping, snoring actually. He looked really peaceful when he was sleeping, rather young. He was smiling, too.

She wasn't. She had somewhat of a headache; Derek made a very vicious mojito. She wasn't going to be drinking those again for a very, very long time.

It hit her then exactly what she did. She had sex with Derek. Three heart stopping, thigh shaking, multiple orgasming times last night. It was a long time coming; their chemistry was unstoppable and the tension palpable for a few years between them. It was bound to come to a head.

Nonetheless, it was still surreal. She was rather mortified, she saw him naked and he saw her naked, too. She went from kissing him on the cheek and hugging him to kissing his dick and sticking her tongue in his mouth.

This had to be the oddest feeling she would ever have. This was beyond awkward; this was terrifying. She wondered how he would feel, if it would be the same for him. She didn't want to lose their friendship; it was so important to her. Her friendship with him defined who she was. She couldn't imagine this bothering him as much. Derek was much more worldly.

She glanced back at his sleeping face and blushed. He may be able to deal, but she was having a hell of a time with it. She wasn't sure she'd be able to go to work, see him, and not imagine his face between her legs. She knew she would want his face there, too. Oooh, what his tongue could do!

She started feeling lust again, acute, raw lust, and started to blanch. She needed to get this under control. Pronto. Her heart started to race. What did she-

"Why is your heart pounding like a rabbit's?"

"It is?" she said, getting up on her elbow, looking over at him.

He yawned lazily and pulled her back so she was laying on him again. "Relax, sugar. I don't bite." He gave her a devilish grin. "Unless, of course, you want me to."

Yep. This obviously wasn't affecting him at all. He wasn't even a drop different. In fact, he looked downright happy and well-rested. Physically, she felt fantastic, but emotionally she was in chaos.

"Quick thing," he said, interrupting her trail of thoughts.

He wrapped his arms around her, flipped her flat on her back and gave her a scorching kiss. It was like last night; the hunger and want started almost immediately. She was responding fully, when he pulled away just a bit, giving her a few more nipping kisses.

"Good morning, princess," he said. "Now it's your turn."

She looked up at him, confusion evident on her face.

He gave her an exasperated look. "You're supposed to say, _I'll show you a good morning, hot stuff_." She started to smile, and he returned it.

Lord, he was adorable!

"It's about damn time you took me up on that offer," she said, giving him a sultry grin. She was going to run with this as long as she could.

"Now that's my girl," he said, looking very pleased.

She laughed, then he kissed her again, passion washed over her, and the ability to worry went right out the door.

* * *

Later, rather than sooner, they emerged from his bedroom for food. She slid his robe on, Derek pulled on his boxers, and they made their way to his kitchen. They decided on some sandwiches. She was standing at the counter, slicing apart some sourdough bread. He was slicing some tomatoes. The ham and cheese were all ready to go.

She looked over at him, wondering when they were going to talk about this whole situation. As far as she knew, he still was dating Monette, he still didn't want a serious relationship, and she still didn't have a damn clue what he thought about her.

A thrill ran through her. She did know he wanted her. That was plain as day. No one could make love to someone that many times and not want them!

She was frowning again. She didn't know what route to take. JJ thought they'd make a terrific pair, but she wasn't so sure about this. This only made things very complicated.

She wasn't paying attention to what she was doing. "Ow!"

At that moment, the knife slipped and she cut her fingertip. She shook it, then reached for a paper towel.

Derek was there with it already. "Here, let me see," he said, holding her wrist. The cut was very tiny, it was barely bleeding. He held the paper towel to it.

She gave a nervous laugh. "I'm not normally that clumsy."

He didn't say anything, just held her hand. A moment later, he removed the paper towel, then kissed her finger. "All better."

It was such a sweet thing to do. Her heart started to ache a little. "Derek, we need to-"

"Baby girl, please don't be so nervous around me," he said, still holding her hand. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"We had sex, Morgan. That changes things."

"Yeah, it does," he said quietly. He looked quizzical for a moment, then cocked his head to the left and put a finger on his chin. "Not that much, really. This was bound to happen. We talked about it all the time."

She decided to ask the tough question first. "What do you want from this?"

"Well, we had sex." He turned to where the sandwich makings were and started assembling. "And it was fantastic, too," he said, putting the ham on the bread. He looked up at her and raised a brow, daring her to deny it.

She wasn't an idiot. Yes, it was fantastic, utterly, wonderfully, soul searchingly fantastic. She intelligently nodded. "I know."

"And I still love you like I always have, still see you as my best friend." His put his attention into the sandwich again. "You're still the one person who matters to me."

Her heart started to thump God, he said so much, yet not enough, either.

"What do we do now?" she asked in a small voice.

He grabbed a different knife and cut the sandwich in half. "I'm all for continuing this and continuing our friendship." He looked up at her, then handed her half a sandwich. "Both are too awesome to end."

He smiled and took a big bite of the sandwich. It was obviously period, end of story for him.

Penelope wasn't thinking at all the same way. She was scared to death. If there was one thing she knew, it was she couldn't do this with him and remain unscathed. He mattered too much to her; the whole sexual act mattered more to her than that.

For him, sex may be something he could take lightly, but it wasn't just a screw-fest for her. She tried, she wanted to come as many times as Derek made her come, just throw caution to the wind and forget about her feelings. She wanted to have a wild, no holds barred affair.

But her heart got in the way, no matter how she tried. She knew she was able to do things with him, reach the peaks she did, because of how much she cared about him.

She already felt awkward, how would she feel in a month's time or longer, when he was ready to move on? She didn't think she could keep doing this and not start feeling something more for him. She knew he didn't want that; he wasn't ready to settle down.

There was another fear, too. She'd get addicted to him. He rocked her world; he was the best lover she ever had, hands down. Maybe because she wanted him for so long, he was really the epitome, the pinnacle. She wondered if anyone else would ever compare now. If she felt that way after one night with him, she knew she'd be begging him to stay.

That would ruin their friendship and her self-esteem. She did have some pride, although not a lot.

"My sweet Adonis," she began gently. "I think this was a lot of fun; you are a terrific lover. But I can't see myself in a long term affair with you."

He was taking another bite of his sandwich and stopped immediately. "Why not?"

"I think it could be very awkward."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Baby, there was nothing _awkward_ about what we did last night and this morning. It was smokin' hot and you know it."

"I'm not denying that," she said, looking intently at him. "I just think it _could_ be really awkward. Seeing each other at work, knowing we've been with each other intimately is going to be hard enough."

"Pen, I would never do anything or say anything that would embarrass you." He looked at her, such caring and compassion on his face it stirred her heart.

She needed to do what was right for him. She stated plainly, "You know you don't want a relationship. You said so yourself on Wednesday."

He frowned at her. "Why can't we just try this out and see where it leads?"

She scoffed, giving him a disbelieving look. "Honey, come on. We're not right for each other. I'm hardly what you normally date."

"I don't see you having any chocolate gods in your past, either," he said, rather snippily. He was scowling now. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It wouldn't work." She shrugged at him. "I know."

"Real sure of all this, huh?"

She nodded. "It's best to just… not do this again, angel fish. Before someone gets hurt."

He was still chewing his sandwich. He was chewing kind of slowly, like he was trying to digest more than the bread and ham. He swallowed. "Okay," he said, sounding rather flat, before he changed his tone. "Okay, I get what you're saying."

She exhaled. "I'm glad-"

"But I want a weekend. After this weekend, if you still feel like this can't work, we can be done," he said, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her against his bare chest. "For this weekend, and this weekend alone, you are mine. No complaints, no recriminations, no worries: just you being completely and utterly mine."

He gave her a toe curling, heart pounding kiss that shook her very core. His lips demanded, his tongue plundered like a marauding pirate. She opened, having no choice but to want more and give more to him. When he raised his head, she was leaning limply against him.

"After that, you still don't want me, if you still think it won't work," he gave her a little smile. "_Then_ I'll let you go."

He released her, smiled wickedly, then turned and walked to his room.

She sank into the nearest kitchen chair, feeling more confused than ever.  
　


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_AN: Thank you for the reviews, everybody. You are all so good to me. It makes my day and keeps me typing like a mad woman!...._

She was still standing in his kitchen, wrapped in his robe, trying to digest what just happened. She couldn't spend a weekend with Derek. No one could spend a weekend in Derek's bed and leave unaffected, she was certain of it. He was so damn good. Even his kisses were electric and passionate, leaving her breathless. It was nauseatingly unfair to other men how perfect he was.

Loads and loads of practice. That must be the reason. At this point, she wanted to thank those other women, after she slapped them silly for having him first.

"Sweetheart, get dressed," he said, coming out in a buttery yellow sweater and jeans. "We need to get you home so you can pack a bag for your weekend with me."

She looked at him. "Derek, really, I didn't agree-"

"Ah, but you didn't disagree; that's agreement by default." He grinned at her. "Come on, baby. It'll be fun. I promise." He made a cross over his heart with one long finger.

"Derek; this is ridiculous. We did it. It was great. Now it's done." She frowned at him. "I still think it's not a good idea to continue this."

"One weekend out of your life, angel. I'm not asking for any more than that."

She looked at his dark, teasing eyes and sighed. "Derek, this is not going to be good."

"Oh, honey," he said, his eyes running over her slowly in the flannel robe. His eyes lit up, hot and dark, and he smiled at her. "It's going to be very, very good."

She didn't like how her body responded merely from his look. How would she stop that feeling when he threw her away after this?

She started to panic again. "Morgan-"

"Thirty-eight hours, Penelope," he said. His eyes were soft, almost pleading; a complete departure from before. "That's all I want. Is that too much to ask?"

That look warmed her heart. There was something there, warmth, caring, like last night when he told her he would make it good. He was right, he did make it good. In fact, he didn't just make it good, he made it perfect. It was the best she ever had.

She looked deep into her heart and thought about Derek's feelings. He really wanted this and she was simply guarding her heart. He wouldn't hurt her, not on purpose. And she couldn't hurt him. Not now, after everything he did for her and showed her.

She swallowed hard, her heart aching. "No. It's not too much to ask."

He gave her a slow smile with a touch of relief behind it. It was so cute; she didn't think someone as smooth as Derek would ever show uncertainty.

She walked over and gave him a little kiss. "For this weekend, I'm yours." She left him and walked into his bedroom to get her clothes.

_Yours. For as long as you want me._

* * *

Derek felt like he scored a small victory, but in the end, it felt kind of hollow. She looked very sad, like this was the last thing on earth she wanted to do. He needed to make her feel satisfied, happy, and alive. He needed her to feel loved. He needed her to know this was definitely the right thing to do.

She stepped out of his bedroom, dressed in her skirt and shirt from work yesterday. Her hair was up in a simple ponytail. She looked absolutely gorgeous, like she always did to him.

He smiled. "You could've worn your sweats, if you wanted to. We're just heading to your place."

"In public?" she asked, looking appalled. "Please. I have to keep my image up for my fans."

He walked over, pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "This fan is impressed with whatever you wear."

"Come now, hot stuff. That's a blatant lie." She grinned up at him. "You're more impressed when I wear nothing at all. Admit it."

A thrill ran through him and he couldn't help but smile. She left for a moment, but now his flirty girl was back.

He shot her a hot grin. "Hell, yes, momma. Was there any doubt?"

"No, not really." She was still beaming at him. She put her hand out like the queen of England, displaying her rings. "Home, Jeeves."

He shook his head with a half grin and opened the door. "Right this way, your highness."

* * *

They made their way over to her house. They chatted like they always did, as if nothing changed in their lives. It was a wonderful feeling, being that comfortable with someone. There really wasn't much of an edge, not much of a change, which surprised both of them.

Once at her place, she changed into a different shirt and skirt, then started to pack a little bag. She was moving right along, packing underwear, bras, her jammies, her outfit for tomorrow. She stopped. "Derek?"

"What, baby?" He was in her living room, sitting on her couch.

"Are you taking me out? I need to know what to pack." She waited a moment for him to answer.

He popped his head through her beaded curtain. "I planned on keeping you all to myself, but if you want to go out, we can."

"Well," she said, shrugging. "Either way is fine with me."

He came in and sat on her bed next to her bag. "How about this weekend I keep you to myself, and next weekend I take you out on the town?"

Her heart clenched a little. "Derek. There's only going to be one weekend."

"Not if I succeed," he said with a big cheesy grin.

"You're silly," she said. She leaned forward and gave him a little kiss. It felt so natural, like it was the right thing to do.

He looked somewhat surprised and very pleased. She went to stand up, but he reached his hands up to cup behind her neck. He kissed her again and again. Soon, she was trading soft kisses with him, exploring his mouth. She rested her hands on his shoulders, continuing to kiss him. He moved his hands to her waist, lifting her so she was sitting on his lap. He playfully nipped her bottom lip with his teeth.

She moved so she was straddling his lap with her knees, kissing him harder with more desperation. She cupped his head in her hands, thrusting her tongue in his mouth, tasting him. He matched each kiss with the same intensity, the same heat.

He ran his hands under her skirt, up and down the length of her silky thighs. She pressed forward, pushing him back. She laid on top of him, her legs kneeling along side his hips.

He lifted himself and her, never breaking the kiss, and boosted back until they were against her pillows. They continued to kiss, like they couldn't get enough of each other.

"Oh, angel," he said, between kisses. "I should've done this years ago….I could do this forever."

She smiled against his lips. "I feel the same way."

He broke the kiss, running his hands down her back to her bottom. "See? I'm winning."

She shook her head. "Just because we're good in bed doesn't mean we're meant to have a relationship."

"True, but it doesn't mean we're not supposed to be together, either," he said, leaning up to kiss her again. "In fact, I think it means we have something undeniable that needs to be explored."

"I think you are _exploring_ enough, Derek Morgan." At that moment, Derek's hands were under her skirt, under her panties, cupping her ass. He was squeezing, tickling, playing with the cleft between. She wiggled in response and he smiled naughtily at her.

"Hey, I've been waiting five years to be with you," he said, his eyes hot and hooded. "You're just going to have to deal with what I need to do to you."

She looked down at him questioningly. "Five years?"

For a moment, Derek thought about backtracking, making up some sort of excuse or suave sexual innuendo. Instead, he relied on something else: the truth.

"Yes, five fucking long years of wanting you."

She looked surprised for just a moment, then leaned down, kissing his lips. "Well, sweet cheeks. Am I worth the wait?"

"Oh, hell, yes," he said, moving quickly, rolling her under him. He kissed her again, and all other thought ended for a very long time.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_AN: Thanks for the reviews. Things are moving right along...._

They ended up spending the rest of the day at her place. Penelope thought it was a strange mix. They would play games, tease, laugh, just like they always did. Except instead of just teasing, they'd take it to the next level. They went to the park near her house, walked to the coffee shop and got some caffeine. They both loved their coffee and had a similar motto: the stronger, the better.

"Hi Penelope," Connie, her regular barista, said. "Same thing as usual? How about your friend?"

"Just plain black coffee for him."

The drinks came quickly. She was stirring the flavor shot she got into her latte. She liked for it to be intersperced in the entire beverage.

He stood close to her. "Mmmm. Smells good."

"It's sugar-free vanilla."

"Silly girl," he said, kissing the side of her neck. "Not the coffee. You."

She turned to smile at him and he kissed her, a big, deep kiss in front of everyone at her local store.

Connie beamed at her and gave her the thumbs up sign.

It made her blush and feel confused. She wasn't expecting public displays from him. PDA seemed like something a permanent couple would do, not a weekend fling. Not that she didn't like it. She did, very much. She realized she was wrong about a lot of things. All the things she wondered about, she learned with him.

For instance, when she felt like cuddling and crawling into his lap, he always wanted her there, too. He almost insisted on it. There were so many times in the past when she'd watch TV or a movie with him she'd want to cuddle. She didn't know he wanted that, too.

She didn't feel that way with anyone else, this need to be touching, be near, just Derek. She told JJ a half truth; Derek wasn't the only one in their relationship that was touchy-feely. She was just as guilty, because she liked to touch him for the pure pleasure of it. She didn't think it had anything to do with a sexual feeling, although there was a plenitude of that, too. It was simply being close.

She was currently sitting in front of him between his legs on her couch. He was rubbing her shoulders and they were watching _Pretty Woman_.

"That Stuckey guy," Derek said, shaking his head. "He reminds me of an UNSUB."

Penelope held in a laugh. Derek always found a way to profile the bad guys in movies. She could find technical glitches but she didn't seek them out. Derek, on the other hand, seemed to thrive on getting into the bad guy's head. She thought it was adorable.

"He's a classic narcissist," he said, shaking his head. "With compensatory features. He's negative, passive aggressive; I wonder if the writers were aware of this when they created the character?"

She shrugged. "I think they just wanted a shorter foil for hot and hunky Richard Gere."

His hands stopped rubbing her shoulders.

"Hot?" he asked. "You think he's hot?"

She turned to look at him. He had one eyebrow up and he looked peeved. It was obvious someone was a little jealous. She thought that was kind of funny. She decided to tease. "Well, yeah. I mean, with his body and good looks, who wouldn't think he's hot."

Derek scoffed. "What body? He has some definition, but-"

"He did upside down sit ups in _An Officer and A Gentleman_." She made a purring sound for extra effect. "Ooh, that tummy of his!"

"Those type of sit ups aren't even that hard. They work your damn hip flexors, not your abdomen." He glared at her and lifted his shirt, pointing at his sculpted belly. "Now _this _takes weights and serious lateral core training."

"Really?" she asked, cocking a brow at him. "I thought you were born that way."

"Hell, no," he scowled. "You have to build this. I work damn har-"

At that point, he noticed her big cheesy grin. "Oh, you little shit," he said, scooping her up into his arms.

She squealed, kicking her legs. "Derek! Put me down!"

"Tease me, will you?" he said, bringing her through the curtain with a tinkle of beads. He laid her on her bed. Straddling her hips, he slid his hands under her shirt and started to tickle her mercilessly.

"Oh, I give!" she said, once she could get her breath. He stopped and she smiled up at him. "Really, honey. You're much better than Richard Gere."

He nodded smugly. "That's better."

She shrugged. "I'm no Julia Roberts, but-"

"No, you're not," he interrupted.

Her frown grew deeper and her eyes grew sadder. "Damn, Hot Stuff. You don't need to rub it in."

"I wasn't done." He said, smiling at her. He touched her lips gently with his fingertips. "You have her same beautiful full mouth, except yours is better. You have kissable, _drive me crazy _lips, moist and sexy. She doesn't."

She kissed his fingertips. It was a sweet thing to say. From the gentle but intense look on his face, he meant every word.

"You're both beautiful. You both have brown eyes, but your eyes glow, sparkle with life and show such compassion for everyone." He moved his fingertips to brush her eyebrows, her cheeks, then he took off her glasses and laid them aside. "The first thing I ever noticed about you were your gorgeous eyes."

"Oh, Derek." Her eyes watered. He was really quite wonderful. What he was saying, it made her feel beautiful.

"But that's where the similarities end. You are so, so much better everywhere else." His eyes grew dark as he ran his hands under her shirt, then eased it off over her head. He cupped her breasts, his hands gently rubbing, testing the weight of each soft mound. "Here, she has nothing, and you… oh, baby. You have _everything_."

Her nipples rose, her eyes darkened. She reached up for him. She never needed him more than she needed him at that moment. Even her heart and her soul needed him. "Please…. Love me, Derek."

He leaned forward. With a husky voice, he answered, "It'll be my pleasure."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_AN: Thanks so much for the reviews (Off to a b-day party; I promise to answer when I get home). As for below... you knew it was going to happen....It will get better, I promise!...._

The next morning, they awoke, kissing and cuddling. Penelope couldn't stop touching Derek; it was a dire need to be close to him. She felt like she was giving him a little more of her soul with each kiss she doled out. She didn't mind; she could feel his warmth with each passionately sweet return.

She was done fighting this, done fighting the fantastic rush, the exquisite rightness, the glorious perfectness of being with him. Perfect was the right word. Everything they did together was perfect. When he slid into her, he fit like he was made for her.

They showered together at her place, leisurely exploring each other fully until they ended up making soapy love in the shower. They giggled the entire time, teasing and laughing. Derek was very playful and very attentive, too. It was tender and hot, gentle and sultry. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before.

They ate brunch, then made it back to Derek's so he could change clothes before they headed to the park. They were going to take Clooney out so he could run. It was a common place Sunday thing for Derek to do, and Pen, too, when she was over at his house. Poor dog; he probably wondered where his master was. Luckily, his eighty-two year old neighbor let the retriever out without fail twice during the day, regardless of whether Derek was in town or not.

"That is so sweet," Penelope said. "Nice neighbor."

"Oh, yeah," Derek said with a big grin. "She's a great woman, my sweet Helen. Makes fantastic cookies, too."

Penelope had to stifle a giggle. Of course, she was a woman! Every woman was bewitched by Derek.

"I should've packed the damn bag before we left for your place," he said, shaking his head.

She put her arms around his neck and gave him a little kiss. "You couldn't have known we'd be waylaid at my place overnight."

"It's logical thinking. Anywhere there's a bed, we'd get waylaid," he said, smirking.

He opened the front door and they walked back into his place. A rush of blonde fur came flying with a bark and a bounce. Clooney was running circles, back and forth excitedly between them. He showed no favoritism; he obviously loved both of them.

"Hey!" Derek said, looking at his dog. "Settle, man, or we ain't going."

The dog sat and put his head on his paws, big brown eyes looking rather dejected.

"Oh, sweetheart!" Penelope said, kneeling by the overgrown puppy. She rubbed his ears, giving him gentle strokes. "Of course, we're going."

Clooney's tail began to wag excitedly, although he stayed down.

"Damn. If that's all it took to have my way with you..."

She looked up to see him giving her the sweetest, puppy dog brown eyes. However, they twinkled with mischief, losing the appeal that poor dejected Clooney had.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Go change."

"Aw, come on." He stopped for a second, looking over his shoulder with an impish grin. "Can I talk you into coming with?"

That was much better, the winning grin he gave her. However, at this rate, they'd never get the poor dog to the park!

She smiled, ignoring his question. "I'll make us sandwiches. You go."

"Alright," he said with a heavy sigh, turning again towards the bedroom, Clooney in tow. "But I'm going to miss you."

Her heart sped up. She didn't doubt him; she'd miss him, too.

She went into the kitchen, getting the stuff she needed. She was feeling more and more content, thinking Derek and JJ were absolutely right. There was something good between them. To be honest, it almost felt too good, but it didn't scare her anymore. This was exactly what she always wanted in a relationship. Heat, love, caring, compassion, fun: they seemed to have it all. He made her think things she never really thought with another man before, like this may be what forever was supposed to feel like.

She sighed happily, working quickly in the kitchen. She put the sandwiches in a bag, grabbed some chips and a couple of apples, then thought about poor Clooney. He was such a good boy, he needed some dog biscuits.

She reached into the cabinet and put the box on the counter. Unfortunately, it was off balance and started to sway a little. "Ooh!" Penelope said, reaching for the box. It tipped, landing on Derek's answering machine. It started to play.

"Morgan, darling," a throaty female voice Penelope recognized immediately as Monette began speaking. "Where have you been all weekend, gorgeous? I thought we were supposed to go out. I adore going out with you." The woman sighed wistfully. "Miss you, baby....Every inch of me misses you. Call me. Ciao."

Penelope paled and stiffened. Her stomach felt like it hit her feet. That woman sounded like she felt_,_ like every moment with Derek was perfect for her, too. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest.

She started wondering something ugly. Did Derek do this with every woman? When he was with them, did he treat them like a queen, like they were perfect and special and different? She heard rumors in the past from previous women about what a fantastic lover he was. She knew exactly why now. No wonder women fell all over him.

She felt like the world's biggest idiot. Just because she was feeling right, just because she was feeling forever, sure as hell did not mean Morgan was feeling the same way.

She thought about what she heard from the man himself over the past five years. He didn't want to settle down. He said numerous times a woman was a fool if she thought she could _change his ways_.

Well, that was one thing she was not going to be: a fool.

She should've listened to her gut in the beginning. She was right. She knew it would be wrong to spend too much time with him. He was her good friend, she loved him. It would be way too easy to confuse that love. That was what was happening with her, she was getting confused with what love was supposed to feel like. She didn't want to be his weekend lover. She just wanted to be his friend.

This needed to end, before someone got hurt. Worse than how hurt she already was, because right now... oh God, did it hurt!

She started to sweat profusely; she felt like she needed to run. She needed to get the hell out of there.

Derek came out of his bedroom, pulling a red sweatshirt over his head. "I think this ought to…Baby Girl?" He walked close to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, concern on his face. "What's the matter?"

"I want to go home, Derek."

"Baby?" He tried to pull her into his arms, but she stepped back.

"Please, don't touch me." She was shivering, and her stomach hurt. She scooped up her keys. They were still on the counter from Friday night.

"What the hell is going on?" Derek was scowling, standing in front of her so she couldn't pass. He reached for her again. "Sweetness.... tell me."

"I just think this is a bad idea. I thought it was a bad idea from the beginning." Her tone was flat. She stepped away from his hands again.

"Where did this come from?" he asked, looking miffed and confused. "I know you did feel that way, but I thought you were changing your mind."

"Things don't change, Derek. Things are exactly like they always have been. _You_ are like you always have been." She sighed, then looked at him.

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"I heard your answering machine," she said. He paled slightly, confirming what she felt. "You had plans this weekend and I ruined them."

"No, you didn't. You didn't ruin anything," he said, reaching for her shoulders. "_You_ are my plans for the weekend."

She shook her head. "That's not what I heard."

"Ignore that," he said with a frown. "Whatever you heard wasn't important."

It was exactly the wrong thing to say. For a moment, she thought of that other girl, the one who missed every inch of him. Penelope was going to miss him, too. She missed him already.

She thought about what could happen. Would she be begging on his answering machine, while he told another girl how unimportant she was? Her stomach churned at the thought. She bit back tears and her heart ached.

She shrugged his hands off her shoulders. "Tell that to Monette."

He held her shoulders again. "Baby, I wanted to spend this weekend with you, not her. I didn't want to spend it with anyone else. You have to believe me."

"I do believe you," she said, forcing a smile. It wasn't a lie. She did believe him. He did want her...now.

"Then what's the problem?" He was obviously exasperated.

"I think this is just wrong. It feels wrong to me," she said.

"It doesn't feel wrong to me," he said, pulling her into his arms. "It feels so right, Baby Girl."

"Because we're friends," she said, pushing away. "We're comfortable with each other. We could lose that. We need to let it go, not think about everything that happened and be friends again."

"We'd never lose that. I love you too much to lose that," he said, looking intently at her. "We'll always be friends. No matter what strings attached." He even gave her a silly smile. "I can take rejection, honey."

Her heart panged in her chest. As jealous as she felt of Monette and at the thought of any other woman lucky enough to have the next weekend with him, she knew that wasn't the truth for her. She'd lose it, she knew she would.

"I'm glad you think that way, honey," she said, turning out of his arms and heading towards the door. "But I think you're wrong."

"Baby, don't do this," he reached for her wrist. His pleading brown eyes were breaking her heart. Again, she was wrong; he could give Clooney lessons.

"I have to go," she said. "Before things get worse."

"Come on, sweetheart."

She smiled, trying to be light hearted. "This is what is meant to be between us; one hot little fling. I'm okay with that."

"That's what you really want?" he asked, his brow wrinkling. "A fling?"

_No!_ her heart screamed. _I want forever with you, damn it!_

She cursed her stupid heart. Her head knew that wasn't happening. She smiled, kissed his cheek and prayed she was a fine actress. For her heart's sake. "Yep."

"Fine." He finally let her wrist go.

"See you tomorrow, sweet cheeks." Before he could say anything else, she opened the door and hurried out to her car. She got in and drove away before the first sob escaped.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

_AN: This is a tough chapter. It will get better, I promise!...._

　  
Penelope didn't mean to hold a grudge. She planned on walking back into work on Monday, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She was going to go right on being best friends with Morgan. She could do that. She wanted that. She thought hard about it, sobbing all of Sunday night, and came to that conclusion.

She knew what Derek was. He was a player. He fully admitted it and worked hard on his player image to keep it thriving. He liked his lifestyle and was unapologetic for it. It wasn't his fault he didn't want to settle down. She knew before this fling began exactly what he was and what he wasn't. There was no reason to be angry or upset.

If anything, she should be rather flattered, and she was, somewhat. She knew he wanted her with a fierce passion. He enjoyed having sex with her, and she enjoyed having sex with him. Not only that, he treated her like a queen for the couple of days they had the affair.

Then it happened. She was set to be fine with everything, absolutely fine. She walked into work and saw Morgan flirting with some new trainee in anti-terrorism and saw red. She wanted to punch that stupid girl, then punch Derek, too. She told herself it was ridiculous to feel this way. This was nothing new. She expected him flirt like he usually did.

She just didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did. She could actually feel her heart breaking, crumbling in her chest.

She tried to be polite to him. She greeted him like normal, smiled like normal, laughed like normal.

Except things weren't normal. They were stifled, unnatural.

Morgan wasn't much better. He was very stiff, too, not smiling at his usual thousand-watt capability. Sunday and Monday night, he did try to call her, but she couldn't talk to him. It didn't feel right.

Now at work, he didn't flirt with her. That was very out of the ordinary. Out of everyone he flirted with, she was usually the top recipient of the action. Derek always made the calls in, always talked to his Baby Girl. This week, he barely spoke with her. Even from the field, other agents made the calls.

It was blatantly obvious that something was very wrong between the two of them. Even Reid noticed.

"What's going on between you two?"

"What?" Pen asked questioningly, answering the call from the younger agent. She knew what he was talking about, but she didn't think it was any of his business.

"Morgan and yourself," he said. "It's like you two are saying the right things… but there's underlying hostility. Something is definitely off. Did something happen that I should be aware of? Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

"Thanks, my sweet heap of gray matter," Pen said. "But there's nothing going on."

She felt terrible lying to Reid. He was like a little brother, to her and to Derek. She didn't want to tell him her heart was shattered, and it was her own damn fault for letting her stupid body betray her. She knew what she said would work; he wouldn't push anymore.

There was definitely hostility and something else building. Wednesday, there was a team meeting. Everyone met in the conference room, and Penelope sat as far from Derek as she could. That didn't make things safe. She ended up staring at him, watching his every move. She was nearly drooling, he looked so good. She wanted to crawl in his lap, kiss his jaw, beg him to hold-

"Garcia, are you listening?" Hotch asked, frowning over at her with concern.

She looked up at him, her face turning beet red. "Yes, sir."

Everyone else was looking at her with some concern, except Derek. He was looking at her with surprise and a touch of confusion. She continued to blush, hoping he didn't see her drooling after him.

After a moment, his eyebrows went up, then understanding lit his eyes. A slow smile spread across his lips. He grinned the rest of the meeting, staring at her with hot eyes. It was unnerving.

That started the marathon staring every time they were around each other. He'd catch her staring and grin at her, or she'd catch him and scowl. It didn't matter. When she looked at him or he looked at her, she remembered every minute in his arms. It was to the point of near obsession, and it needed to stop. It was getting ridiculous.

Penelope decided to confront him on it, but not in person. God, no, she couldn't do that. Instead, she called him that night on the phone.

"Derek, we need to talk."

"Alright, angel," he said. "Talk."

"Look," she said, disliking that he used one of her nicknames. They hadn't talked for three days; he didn't have the right to call her a nickname. "I know we're not exactly the same any more, but we have to work together and be civilized."

"What am I doing differently?"

She growled in frustration. "Morgan, you know what you're doing."

"Enlighten me."

"You keep staring at me." She decided to put it out there, just say it straight out.

"You're nice to look at," he commented.

"Not as _nice_ as you are making me out to be," she scoffed.

"I beg to differ," he said softly, then he snickered a bit. "Besides, you're not any better, woman."

"What am I doing? I-"

He scoffed, "Come on now. Be honest, Garcia. You stare at my lips, you stare at my ass; I've caught you staring just about everywhere on me. I'm a profiler. I _know_ what you want."

She blushed three shades of red, even though he was miles away. "Well, I don't have to be a _profiler _to know you want me naked!"

"I do," he said casually. "I'm not going to lie about it."

"Morgan, be serious," she said, her heart starting to pound. God, she wanted that, too. She needed to end this. "We barely talk anymore, how-"

"I am being serious," he interrupted. "I do want you naked, in my bed, wrapped around me, coming under me."

She shivered with the thought, then started thinking. "How can you want that when we're obviously upset with each other?"

"I'm not upset with you. I simply think you're wrong about us."

"Morgan-"

"Come on, baby," he coaxed. "Let's not fight. Give me my other day to show you this is right. Besides, you promised. It's only fair."

"Derek, how can you think that way?" she asked, absolutely exasperated. "We're fighting, for Pete's sake!"

"Ever heard of makeup sex?" His voice was teasing. "Lots and lots of hot makeup sex?"

Now she was angry. "Making up would mean having a relationship in the first place. I'm not stupid enough to try a relationship with someone like you."

He was absolutely silent. She thought she heard crickets chirping.

She didn't mean to hurt him, but she must've done that. It wasn't the way it sounded. She meant he didn't want to settle down; she'd be an idiot to think he did.

She needed to apologize. "Derek, I-"

"I'll keep my distance, Garcia. You keep yours." He didn't wait for her to say anything else, he just hung up.

So now, it was Friday, the end of the week. She effectively managed to avoid Derek, and he avoided her completely on Thursday. She was getting ready to board the elevator and started to shut the doors, when a hand stopped them from closing.

A beautiful brown hand capable of giving so much pleasure.

She frowned at the owner of that hand. "I was leaving."

"So am I," he scowled at her. "I have a date. I don't want to keep her waiting because I have to wait for another elevator."

"Oh, I am so sorry about that," she said, her lips pinched. Of course, he had a date.

He scowled more, staring at her. "What? I'm not supposed to date? You're the one who said it didn't work between us. That makes me fair game for other women."

"Oh, please, Derek. Like I had to give you permission," she said, scowling at him. "I'm surprised you had time to change the sheets between me and someone else!"

"Christ, P," he said, looking stricken.

Her heart hurt. It was a low blow, but she couldn't help herself. She couldn't stop snapping at him. How could he go from her to Monette in less than a week?

She hid her tears, swallowing before spitting out the next sentence. "You're the one dating!"

"Am I supposed to be some sort of fucking monk? I repeat: _you did not want me_."

She couldn't answer. It was so far from the truth.

"I begged you to stay with me last weekend and you still left." His voice was hoarse when he continued, "I have never begged a woman in my life, but I begged you."

Her heart pounded. He sounded so upset, as upset as she felt. She didn't like this. Moreover, she didn't _want_ this. Her pride overrode her thinking. She became defensive, thinking of Monette on the answering machine, Monette waiting for him tonight, Monette getting every last inch of him.

She tried to look cool. "You act like last weekend meant something to you, Derek. You know it didn't."

"Since when do you speak for me?"

She opened her eyes wide. "You forget who you're talking to. I was your best friend. I know you like the back of my hand."

"Think again, little girl," he glared at her. "You don't know shit."

The doors opened, and he started walking with a fast stride quickly to the parking lot.

She jogged to keep up, then grabbed his duffle bag and dug her heels in to slow him down. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

He pulled his bag out of her grasp. "You figure it out." He opened the SUV's door and threw his bag in.

She watched him drive away, completely confused.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_AN: Thank you for the reviews. This will get better, but it's going to take some time. Morning update, probably will have an evening one, too..._

Derek was irritated. He didn't like feeling like this, like a caged tiger ready to pounce. He wanted to think this whole thing with Garcia didn't bother him as much as it did. If she thought badly of him, if she didn't give a damn about him or care about what he thought, if she didn't think as highly of him as he thought she did, she could simply go fuck herself. He thought he could do that; cut her out of his life as effectively as she did him.

He tried tonight. He tried to go out on a date with a willing woman who actually _wanted _him. He was looking forward to it. The date started off okay, one thing lead to another and he ended up at her place. He had his tongue down Monette's throat, his hand up her shirt, and his eyes closed, thinking about another woman. How she smiled, how she laughed, how much better she tasted.

It was an unmittigated disaster. He was getting hard, but it had nothing to do with moaning Monette. He ended up having to leave.

He didn't want any other woman. He just wanted Penelope. She was like a fever in his blood, he had to have her.

He ended up at the training center, running his ass off. He started jogging around the track. It was raining and cold, but he didn't care. He needed to burn off the excess frustration and energy he had.

The worst part of it was he knew she wanted him too. It was clearly evident every time he looked into her beautiful, sherry brown eyes. They flashed with desire, total want for him…. That she quelled immediately.

He didn't bother hiding it. He _wanted _her. He wanted _her_. He knew he would never stop wanting her, either. It hit him so many times that weekend exactly how right being with her felt. Nothing ever felt like that for him before. In her arms, inside her, being near her, he felt like he was home. Over the weekend, something remarkable happened. For the first time in his life, Derek was certain he was in love.

Being without her magnified that feeling. He couldn't remember a more miserable week than this one, void of her smiles, her laughter, her kisses, her sighs. She amounted to being essential for his well being, like water and air.

He tried this week to cajole her, to talk her into coming back to him. He tried sex. Their mutual want was something. He didn't know what else to do to convince her; he knew he was good at sex. He knew he satisfied her. He wasn't afraid to use it to build on, to get her to see more in him.

It didn't work. The woman considered him a walking joke when it came to relationships. She thought all he was good for was sex and a few laughs. He was pissed, but he felt she was somewhat justified in her thinking. He never had a real relationship in thirty-nine years.

He shook his head. After all these years, he finally gets it right. He finally wanted to settle down and the one woman he wanted didn't want him.

She said the weekend didn't mean anything to him; she was dead wrong. It meant the world to him. He didn't bother to clarify her thinking. Listening to her, how she really felt, just made him angry and upset. He wasn't going to be a fool and declare anything to her; it wouldn't have done any good.

Derek stopped running. He was going like a bat out of hell. He could barely drag a breath in his lungs and his joints were starting to ache. He brought it down to a reasonable jog and started thinking, but shook his head. He stopped and stood there, letting the rain fall on his upturned face. He was done with solutions for the night.

He headed inside and swam a few laps in the pool before showering off. He was ready to hit the heat of the sauna. His left knee absolutely ached from overdoing it on the track. Humidity caused his knee to flare up anyway. He was going to have to rest it for a day or two. Hopefully there'd be no one to tackle for awhile.

He pushed the door to the sauna in, quickly getting hit with a mouthful of hot, dry air. He squinted his eyes, searching for a bench that would be good to sit on for awhile. He laid his towel down and took a seat, put his left leg up, and closed his eyes. He wasn't going to think of a damn thing for a good long time.

* * *

Penelope was on the elliptical runner at the training center. She tried to hit the machine at least three times a week, but she hadn't been there for a few days now. She was too busy avoiding Derek, who was there all the time. No sign of him tonight; thank God for small favors. Then again, he wouldn't be there tonight; he told her he was on a date.

It hurt worse than she ever could imagine. She didn't like they weren't talking, she didn't like what she was becoming, jealous and angry. In almost six years, they rarely had arguments strong enough to last a whole afternoon, much less days. There was the Battle Brawl, there was the Tamara Tangle, and now there was the Sex Scandal

She still wanted him. She wanted him as her best friend most of all, but she wanted him in bed for a month, too. She couldn't lie about it. She wanted him so badly, she physically hurt. She thought of how fun it would be, working out any sexual kink she could think of. Of course, he probably didn't feel that way. He had Monette, who was probably double jointed.

She smiled nastily to herself. She bet that woman didn't know half the things she knew about satisfying Derek. Penelope worked hard to know exactly what Derek craved; she wanted to please him so badly.

Did Monette know he liked the side of his neck licked before biting him gently? Or that he loved it so much if she was on top, his glittering black eyes practically glowed? Did Monette notice he had a beauty mark right at the top of his right inner thigh, or that he loved to snuggle after he came?

She felt like bawling. She didn't want Monette to learn anything about Derek. She didn't want any other woman near him. She wanted him to simply be hers.

She wiped away tears with her sweat towel. This didn't change anything. Just because she felt that way didn't mean he changed his thinking about anything. He was still a player who liked to play. Having sex with her, albeit really fantastic sex, didn't make him a one-woman man.

She frowned. This was her own fault. She ended it to keep her heart safe. That was such a stupid thing to do; she knew he already had her heart from the get go. All she was now was a bitter bitch who couldn't stop arguing with him. That merely hurt him and herself, too.

She was back at square one, frustrated, sad, lonely and out of solutions. She was getting a headache. It didn't do any good to think anymore. She took a quick shower and headed towards the sauna. It was always a good thing to get the impurities out of her pores. Her mother had been a strong believer in holistic therapies and felt a good sweat was good for the spirit.

She opened the door, then shut it quickly so none of the steam would release. "Whew!" she said, feeling the heat immediately.

She looked up to see Derek sitting to the right, his left leg up on the bench. He had a towel folded under his knee. Slow droplets of sweat were starting to form on his chest, his shoulders and his forehead.

She simply couldn't move. She just started at him, like he was the most remarkable thing she ever saw in her life. It wasn't far from the truth; he was so beautiful. She watched as a droplet of sweat rolled off the tip of his nose, down between his pectoral muscles, past his rippled abs to pool in his navel. She licked her lips, fighting the urge to go over, kneel between his legs and lick that same path the drop took.

She looked up and met his eyes. He was smirking at her. "Like what you see?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_AN: Here it is; the aforementioned afternoon update. Warning: strong sexual content..._

She stood there staring still, looking at the bare and sculpted torso of her beautiful best friend. She couldn't say a word. If she denied it, he'd know she was lying. She did the next best thing; she laid her towel down on the opposite bench and ignored him.

"Well?" he demanded, his smirk even more pronounced.

She shot a glance back at him, ready to glare. She was ready for a fight, a no holds barred spar. Then she stopped and really looked at him. There was the cocky attitude above all, but he couldn't hide everything. His eyes were hot, filled with barely suppressed desire. He was looking at her like he wanted her naked. After all that staring this week, she knew that look better than anything on this earth.

She smiled to herself. He wanted to tease; she'd tease him.

She wasn't sure what would happen with her plan. She knew she was tired of fighting this. It was a losing battle; she wanted him, he wanted her. She didn't want to deny it anymore. She'd take his passion when she could get it, and to hell with her heart.

She moved back to the door.

"Leaving so soon?" he sneered with barely constrained sarcasm, a look of pure male triumph on his face. "Can't take the heat?"

She twisted the lock, then turned to face him. "No, I'm staying for awhile."

She moved so she was only a few steps in front of him. He was watching her through angry, hooded eyes. He looked like he was fighting something, but she wasn't sure what that was.

She was wearing her two piece tankini. She unhooked the halter behind her neck, baring her breasts, then undid the strap behind her. She let the top of her suit fall to the floor.

She watched the smoldering heat in his eyes, along with the scowl on his face. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

He was keeping his eyes on her face, sweating much more than he was earlier. She kept her eyes on his as she peeled the bottom of the swimsuit down to her knees. She looked down, took it off of her feet, then stood back up, flipping her hair back over her shoulders.

She looked at him again. He was running his eyes down her body, lingering on her breasts, staring unabashedly between her legs. When his gaze returned to her face, his eyes were narrowed, glittering with feral intensity. His jaw was set, his nostrils flared. There was absolutely no doubt how badly he wanted her.

"Hey, Derek," she said, sporting the same mocking smirk he had earlier. "Do you like what you see?"

His scowl deepened and he growled, "Don't fuck with me, Penelope. I'm not in the mood."

"Tsk, tsk," she said, glancing at the prominent bulge between his legs. "I'd say that's a lie, sweet cheeks."

He stood up and walked until he was about a foot from her. "What do you want from me, P? Do you want me to pant after you? You can try, but I'm not going to do it."

His look was icy; he managed to chill her even in 120 degree heat. She swallowed, wanting to grab her swimsuit and cover up.

She went to respond, but he stared at her mouth. It was as effective as putting a gag on her; it stopped her from being able to say a word.

"You should have a license for your mouth," he spat, focused on her lips. "It's a deadly weapon."

"I didn't say anything different than you." She glared at him, her hands on her hips.

"I didn't say it fucking naked!" As he talked, his eyes moved downward, becoming glued to her heaving breasts. "And with your mouth... sweetheart, you shoot to kill."

"Damn you!" she swore, her eyes watering. "You started it."

Her traitorous body continued to react to him. The tips of her breasts hardened with his stare. She fought crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was just sitting here!" He took a step closer to her, continuing to stare at her. She could see the sparks flying, his breath coming faster. From anger or passion, she truly didn't know.

"Saying snide remarks," she said, with defensive hostility creeping into her voice. It hurt. She didn't want to fight with him; this was killing her.

"I said the truth." He was standing even closer to her, nearly touching her. She so wanted him to touch her, hold her. She could feel waves of heat coming off of him. He was so much hotter than the sauna.

She was a fool, but she still had her pride. She raised her chin and met his glare, her own eyes crackling fire. "So did I."

Whatever it was in that last statement, it was enough to drive him over the edge. A split second later, he was on her, crashing his mouth down on hers and crushing her body against his. It was a hot, strong, demanding kiss that sought to control her very soul, and she loved every minute of it. Teeth scraped, lips bruised. He plunged his tongue into her mouth.

She kissed him back, opening her mouth wider to his urgent demands, greedy for more. She rose on her tip toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, drinking from him. Her breasts felt on fire, her whole body in a fever pitch of rising desire.

He continued to devour her, moving his hands down to cup her bottom. He lifted her, pressing her softness into the firmness of his erection. She swayed her hips into his, panting, wanting. His teeth caught her bottom lip, nipping gently, then licking the spot with his tongue.

Somewhere within all that heat and anger, passion took over. He started kissing her softer, deeper, coaxing and playing with her mouth. A heavy pulse grew in her core and an engulfing, tender blackness took over. It was far more devastating than his earlier, angry kisses.

He slid his lips over the sweaty column of her neck, licking, biting, playing with the sensitive skin. He made it near her ear, breathing heavily.

"Oh, baby," he said, reigning kisses on her neck, cheek, ear. "You're mine; you know that?"

"Yes," she moaned, reaching for his lips again with her own. "Yes…"

He pulled away for a moment, then reached his hands up to cup her face. "Baby girl…. We do this…. It's not a one time thing. We don't stop. Do you understand?"

She nodded, closing her eyes again with a moan. She didn't want to think about repercussions; she just wanted to keep kissing him.

"Say it, Penelope," he said, kissing her quickly. "My sweet, beautiful princess. Tell me yes."

She opened her eyes and saw the intense look on his face. "Yes."

That opened the floodgate to passion. He captured her lips again, his tongue seeking, his hands caressing. He kissed whatever he came in contact with. Her hands came up to hold his shoulders; he turned his head to kiss them.

"I missed you," he murmured, kissing her throat, her collarbones, her shoulders.

He sounded like he missed her forever. She understood the feeling, even though it had only been a week. It was far too long for them to be apart. "I missed you, too."

He looked back and smiled at her, the little crinkles by his eyes appearing, before kissing her again.

The combination of the heat of the sauna and the passion that she felt for Derek was heady, making her dizzy. She swayed into him, reaching her arms around his neck for balance.

"Baby, hold on," he said, reaching down and untying his swim trunks. With a tug, they fell about his ankles. He put his hands on her bottom, lifting again until she was nearly off her feet.

"Derek…there's no condom…"

"Wrap your legs around me," he commanded, lifting, her slippery body sliding easily up his.

She complied, as he pressed her back against the frosted, beveled glass door and entered her with one strong movement. Pressed between the hardness of the door and the strength of the man in front of her, Penelope wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding on for dear life.

She felt the strength in his arms as he held her, the muscles in his back as they tightened and flexed with each strong thrust that he made. He opened his legs wider, bracing her weight on his thighs, and began to move faster, harder.

She began to ache and throb more, the beginnings of climax so close. He moved her down his slick body, dropping her hips just enough so the angle of penetration changed. His pelvis ground against the erect bud of her clit with each upward stroke. He lowered his head, taking her pink nipple into his mouth and she went over the edge, convulsing and shaking in his arms.

He caught her mouth again with primitive fierceness as his movements grew rougher, harder and more wild. He lifted her higher, thrusting deeper. She held on to his shoulders tightly, holding him close. Moments later, he pulled out, still pulsing, coming against her belly in thick spurts.

He lowered her to her feet, reached for the towel and dried them both off. He wrapped the other towel around her, put his swimsuit back on, and gathered hers in his hand. He gave her a quick kiss, then unlocked the door.

The outside was very cold in comparison to the heat of the sauna. She shivered. He wrapped his arms around her. "Th-thanks," she said, her teeth chattering.

"You're coming home with me." It was a statement, not a question.

She was too cold and too tired to argue. Besides, it was what she wanted anyway.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_AN: Thanks for the reviews. Will answer soon, I promise. Wanted to get this out there first..._

They didn't speak the entire ride to Derek's place. She left her car at the training center. She wasn't concerned about it, she just wanted to be by Derek. She sat in the front seat of his SUV, teeth chattering. The heat was on in the car, but it didn't really help. She was still so cold, the rain outside and the frostiness of their demeanors made everything that much worse.

It was late and she was so tired. He looked tired, too. He even yawned just before pulling into his driveway. She wondered if he felt exhausted from fighting like she did. She always felt worn out after arguing with Derek, like she lost her best friend. She couldn't help but pout. That made absolute sense she felt that way, because she did lose him.

He came around to her side of the car, opened the door and waited for her to step out. Her skirt went flying ala Marilyn Monroe; she put her hands down to hold it closer to her body. The wash of cold, damp air caused goose bumps to erupt on her arms and legs.

This morning was warmer than usual, humid with a chance of rain. She was wearing a short sleeved shirt and skirt, appropriate for the weather at the time. She didn't anticipate how she'd feel after the front went through. She also didn't anticipate she would cook herself in the sauna, making hot love with her Hot Stuff. She couldn't regret that, no matter how cold she was.

He wrapped his right arm around her and they walked quickly into his house. She ended up getting wet from rain. She was shivering rather violently, standing in his foyer. Her nipples were erect from the cold, her hands were white and her fingertips were slightly blue. She needed her sweatpants, sweat socks and his sweatshirt to warm up, but she couldn't move.

Derek tossed his keys aside on the table and scooped her up in his arms. He held her tight against his chest, controlling some of the shaking. She tried to physically stop the shivers, but it wasn't working. He walked very quickly, nearly jogging. He walked into his bedroom, then he sat her on the edge of his bed. He reached for what she was thinking about in her drawer she had there. He knelt between her legs, then pulled her shirt over her head and started to unfasten her bra.

She felt useless. She needed to do something to help. She protested. "I-I-I've g-g-got it. I-"

He put his fingers on her lips to silence her. She looked up and met his warm brown eyes. He was frowning at her with concern, shaking his head. He didn't say a word, but it was there on his face. _Be quiet. Let me take care of you_.

Her heart started to pound in her chest and a few hot tears fell out of the corners of her eyes. She stayed quiet as he slid her bra off, pulled her sweatshirt over her head, then completed the rest. He was holding her left foot, getting ready to pull the sock on.

She was still sniffling. Her heart was so broken, aching and confused. He looked up at her with a wistful look. He sighed, then moved her foot up to his mouth, smiling at her as he kissed her pink painted toenails.

She giggled between tears. "Thank you," she said, putting her hands on his face.

He still didn't say anything. He stood, pulling the blankets down on his bed. He picked her up, deposited her on the pillows, then covered her up. He stripped naked, slid in next to her, and wrapped his arms around her.

She laid her head on his warm chest. He was always so warm; it was amazing how much heat he generated. She was wrapped like a mummy, he was naked, and he was warmer than she was. She snuggled closer, feeling so peaceful. He kissed the top of her head.

A thousand things were running through her mind. She didn't know what to think, what to say. All she knew was this felt so right, so good. She never wanted it to end. She was tired of feeling so confused. It was so easy to do. She knew he still cared about her as his best friend, but what he just did, that felt like love to her.

"Derek?" she asked, looking up at him. His eyes were closed; he appeared to be sleeping.

She sighed, closing her eyes, lying back on his chest. She knew what she wanted to say, but didn't know if she could right now anyway.

* * *

Penelope woke up, happy and feeling much more secure. She was wrapped, now naked, in his arms. She woke in the middle of the night, Derek on top of her, kissing her neck. He didn't say a word, he just held her, kissed her, made love to her. It was wonderful, soft, gentle with undeniable strong underlying need. It shook her to her core.

They picked up exactly like they did the last weekend they were together: holding each other, teasing, laughing, making love. In fact, they acted like they never argued. He never mentioned it; she wasn't going to mention it, either. She didn't want to talk about it; she wanted that whole disastrous week to just disappear from her existence.

Penelope came to a conclusion last night before she went to bed. She was going to take what she could from this relationship with him. He was worth the risk to her heart. She wanted so badly to stay with him forever, but she didn't want to look that far ahead. She was taking this day by day, hoping and praying for the best. She didn't worry about what would happen if she fell in love with him; that already happened anyway.

She was starting to enjoy what it felt like to be in love with Derek Morgan. She just let go and let herself experience everything she ever wanted to feel and it felt extremely good.

That started the next few weeks of pure bliss for Penelope. They alternated between his place and hers, hanging out, spending just about every last minute together. They went out to dinner like they used to do, watched movies like they used to do. They talked like they always did, almost about everything… except that one thing that hung there between them.

She did try, once. "Derek, what do you think of all this?"

He was reaching for a dinner plate for her. "All what?"

She swallowed, looking at him. "Us."

He paused, looking at her quizzically, like he was searching for something from her. Whatever he was looking for, he didn't say. She didn't think he found it. His eyes dimmed somewhat, he turned to grab a plate for himself. "Whatever we are, honey, we're good."

He gave her a wicked grin that lacked some of his usual wattage. It made her feel insecure again, unsure and unsteady.

She tried not to feel disappointed and just take it day by day. She had no real reason to complain. The days with Derek were terrific. Then there were the nights. He made love to her with an intensity she never experienced in her life before. It was absolutely soul shattering. She gave everything, too. Making love to him verified her feelings for him. She wanted to beg him to stay with her, to beg him to love her.

She came close last night to telling him exactly how she felt. It started off as just teasing. They showered together, then laid in his bed, naked, with the TV on, talking and laughing. She was straddling his waist. He liked to have her on top of him, close to him, even when they were just talking. She stopped feeling self conscious about her appeal to him a long time ago; he simply made her feel too beautiful and too sexy to worry about her appearance.

They were talking about work. She was explaining the newest AFIS system. "It's hopeless trying to explain stuff to a genius. He expects the computer to be able to think laterally at times. I told Reid the program didn't work that way…hey!"

His hands were on her bottom, lifting and moving her forward on his chest. "God, woman, you smell good. Like apples and sex."

He was moving her higher and higher, until her knees rested by his shoulders. "It's my soap… Derek... oh, God, no... I don't think… oooh!"

He put his arms between her legs, spreading her thighs more apart. He was cupping her ass, moving her even farther forward, until she was over his neck. She stiffened, trying to lean back, but couldn't speak.

The roughness of his beard and the wetness of his tongue sliding up her inner thigh robbed her of any thinking. She gasped and shuddered, holding on to his wrought iron headboard for dear life, simply feeling.

Later, much later, she was lying, her back to his front. His arms were holding her close, his steady breathing ruffling her hair. She kissed the forearm wrapped around her.

"I love…" she began, the feeling so natural, so much what she wanted to say. She stopped herself; she couldn't bare herself that much to him. Instead, she said rather lamely, "I love doing this with you."

He stiffened behind her, but then he relaxed. "I love doing this with you, too," he said, his low voice rumbling in his chest. He kissed the top of her head.

Penelope sighed and tried to ignore the steady ache in her heart. When she heard his slight snoring and his arms relaxed around her, the tears started to fall yet again.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_AN: Okay... we're starting to move..This is very long, but I didn't want to break it because of flow--it all kind of goes together......_

Derek and Penelope had been together two months now, although no one at the BAU had any idea. Even her friends and his family didn't know. They practically lived together. They spent every moment together, slept together every night. They were a couple in every way they possibly could be.

Except verbally.

Penelope never talked about their relationship after that one ill-fated time she'd tried, and Derek never brought it up either. They didn't say anything that might jeopardize how they felt about one another. Unfortunately, they also never said anything that could help clear the air. Neither would say they loved the other. Penelope felt like she was seven years old, playing house with him.

It wasn't always pleasant. It should've been; there was nothing to argue about. Yet there was tension that sat right below the surface. He wanted her to talk, she wanted him to talk, but they didn't. Instead, they were stagnant, each of them scared to make a move.

It came somewhat to a head last night. He was in a grumpy mood; the day at work hadn't been good. She was making it better. She was laying on top of him on the couch. She had flannel PJs on, he had his hands on her ass under her pants, rubbing and massaging. He was tracing his finger along the top of her thong in the back.

She surprised him and bought one after he mentioned he thought her butt would be cute in a pair. Derek was a diehard breast man, but he loved curves everywhere, especially sweet, soft curves like Penelope's. Her hips, her ass, her breasts, the curve of her back... it was all sexually arousing for him.

"It's not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be," she said, smiling down at him.

"This?" he asked, pulling the string on the top and letting it snap back.

"Yes," she said, blushing a little. "I thought it would creep, and I'd notice it."

"I definitely notice it.... sexy little thing," he said, eyes darkening, his fingers trailing down the string, tickling her.

She giggled and wriggled back, with a swat of her hand. "Quit being naughty."

He arched a brow at her. "Okay, pot calling the kettle..."

He moved his hands even lower, pulling her up more, leaned forward and started kissing her.

The ringer on the phone was off and the answering machine answered immediately, surprising them both.

"Derek," a familiar throaty voice answered. "I've called twice this week on your cell, texted you numerous times, and you haven't called me back. Lover, where are you? Did you fall off the planet?" Her voice grew petulant. "I miss you."

Penelope stiffened, lifting her mouth from Derek's.

"Fuck."

She frowned at him. "That's _all_ you have to say?"

"No. That's not all." He scowled back. "Fuck _her_."

She continued to glare. "No, thank you."

"I don't want to, either."

"I know," she said, continuing to frown.

He took his hands out of her pants, putting them on her waist, holding her down. "Listen to me. I hadn't slept with anyone for six months before we had sex. I told you that before we made love. I have never lied to you before, why should I start now?"

"Why out of the blue did she decide to call?" she asked, after being quiet for a minute.

"I don't know," he said, frustrated. "I called her back about a month ago and told her I wasn't interested in going out again."

She gave a sarcastic laugh. "You must've been real convincing, Morgan, considering she's still calling."

"You know what?" he said, releasing her waist, letting her up. "I'm not going to argue with you about this. I don't lie. I want you. I'm with you," he put his hands on her face and continued, "not her."

"Sure." She knew it was bitter, but it hurt.

He rolled his eyes and dropped his hands. "This is crap, Penelope. You know I'm with you, only you. Knock it off." It was obviously period, end of story for him.

She was miffed. He had an ex-girlfriend call, and he was angry at her? That was it. She stood, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think I need to go home."

He was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. "Fine," he stood. "Go home if you _need_ to. I'm going to bed." With that, he went into the bedroom, leaving her standing there.

Awhile later, Penelope snuck into the bedroom. Derek looked to be sleeping. She knew she overreacted. She didn't want to go home, she wanted to be there with him.

She didn't want to fight. She felt awful being so damn jealous. She crawled into the far side of the bed, laid on her side and curled up a little. She wanted to trust in how much she cared about him. She wanted to believe-

Derek rolled over quickly, put his arms around her, pulled her close and kissed her hard. A moment later, he released her lips and held her tightly against his chest. She could hear the rapid beat of his heart. She shuddered, then wrapped both of her arms around him, too. Soon, they both fell asleep, without ever saying a word.

* * *

The next day at work, Penelope was typing away, digging up some deleted files that someone was trying to stash away from a hard drive. She was really into it. The person, a raging pedophile, thought they were bright and savvy with computers. They were, but not as bright as she was.

She pressed a combination, which caused a wormhole sequence to open. She was expecting it to happen; she had to defeat that before she could open the encryptions in the registry. It was a higher-based trick, but nothing she couldn't handle.

"Oh, you can run, dirty little file, but you can't hide," she said, smiling maliciously as the site key popped up again exactly where she wanted it to be. She quickly quarantined it, giggling victoriously with satisfaction.

"You look happy," JJ said, walking into Penelope's office.

"Score one more point for the good guys," she said, adding the file to a disk to give to an agent to analyze.

"So, are you going to be done by six? Prentiss and I are thinking of doing a girls' night at the bar." She grinned at Garcia. "It's been forever since we did that, and Will has Henry tonight."

Penelope was thinking. It would be the first night she was away from Derek in the two months since they'd started this relationship they had. They never officially said they were dating; it didn't seem like an affair, it wasn't a fling. It was too important for that. She didn't know what it was.

"I don't know," she said seriously. "I need to see what's in my plans."

"Oh," JJ said, smirking at her. "Need to see if Morgan's okay with you going?"

Penelope blinked at her. She started to flush hot and cold. How on earth did she find out? She wasn't ready to answer questions about what this was. She couldn't answer them to herself, so how could she defend it to JJ?

"Penelope, it's okay," JJ said, putting her hands up. "I took a guess. I saw you two coming and going together this week. I just assumed-"

"There's... I... um," Penelope said, flustered.

"Penelope," JJ said, looking questioningly at her.

"We're going out, kind of," she said. "He wants to be with me, and I want to be with him, so much, but-"

"So you are dating?"

Penelope couldn't answer. No, they weren't dating. She was just having fantastic sex with him, enjoying every waking and sleeping moment with him, and she was wildly in love with him. Her heart ached.

"Pen, are you okay?" JJ asked, her brow knitting.

"I'm fine."

JJ knew everything wasn't fine. "Do you want to talk about this?"

"Hell, no," she said, sounding so confused and dejected, JJ's heart broke.

She put her arm around Penelope. "Come with us; it'll be good for you."

"I'd love to go," she said softly. JJ gave her another look, but she laughed. "I'm fine. Really."

JJ didn't buy that for a second, but she didn't want to push either. "Okay, Garcie. We'll see you tonight."

* * *

　  
The three women were sitting, having a hell of a good time, talking and drinking.

"You know," Prentiss said, raising her frothy glass of beer. "This is to the boys. In particularly, Reid. He was very upset he wasn't included."

JJ raised a brow. "You did tell him it was girls' night out, right?"

"Nah," Emily said, laughing. "He needed to stew. I told him since I wasn't his usual type of friend he would hang out with, he didn't need to go."

"Em!" Pen said, somewhat shocked. "That was mean! Poor boy wonder."

"He started it," Emily said, scowling before taking a sip of her beer. "It happened on the plane. He and Dave were having this discussion about how men and women can't be friends."

Penelope giggled. "Oh?"

"Of course they can," JJ said, shaking her head.

"No, no," Emily said, waving her finger in the air. "Reid said I wasn't his type of friend. The only real platonic friendship between a man and woman he could think of was you and Morgan. I said there was a whole lot of sexual energy going on between you."

"What did Derek say?" Penelope asked, sipping her beer.

"He was rather pissy. He said, 'Hell, no.'"

"Emily," JJ said, glaring at Prentiss. "Shut up."

"Really." Penelope's tone was very flat.

"Yeah! I laughed, thinking it wasn't true," she said, shoving Penelope on the shoulder, "but Derek assured me there was nothing there but friendship."

"He did?" Penelope asked, trying to look nonchalant.

"He was adamant about it," Emily said, then smirked. "Of course, I think he was lying his ass off."

Penelope laughed, pretending like it didn't bother her. "Of course he was. Who doesn't want a piece of this tech kitten?"

Emily chortled.

JJ smiled, but it didn't meet her eyes completely. "Penelope-"

Pen swallowed the rest of her beer, then stood up. "I'm going to go get a mojito."

Waiting in line, Penelope frowned. _Nothing there_. He seriously thought there was nothing romantic between them. He was _adamant_ about it. He wouldn't have been thinking about it at all if it wasn't for stupid Rossi and stupid Reid.

She was right all along. She was a curiosity lay. She snickered bitterly. A very good lay: she wanted to please him so damn badly. She thought about Monette calling. She believed Derek called her and told her he was done. How forcefully he said it was the question. If he knew this was temporary, he'd keep his little black book open, including Monette.

This wasn't something he wanted long term. It was nothing more than a very hot affair, and she'd lost her idiotic heart in the process. This was a mess; she felt like hell.

She stood at the bar, drinking the first mojito down rather quickly. It was a lot more mellow than the one Derek made for her. This one just tasted like flavored water. She ordered another one and wound her way back to the table.

The topic changed, and the women continued to drink, talk, and laugh. It was late, and the bar was getting more packed by the moment. Penelope was on her fifth mojito by the time JJ and Emily decided they really should leave.

"I'm going," Prentiss said, smiling. "I got a friend coming to get me." She gave a quick hug to JJ, then hugged Penelope. She looked concerned. "You gonna be okay? You look upset."

"I'm fine."

"It's not about Morgan, is it?" she asked, concerned. She gave a grin, putting her arm around her distraught friend. "Pen, he obviously likes you. He was full of shit. He's _always_ full of shit."

"Go home, Emily," JJ said, scowling at Prentiss. "We're going, too."

With a final wave, Prentiss headed out the door.

"You go ahead, JJ," Penelope said, listening to the music. She downed the rest of her mojito. "I'm staying here for awhile."

JJ frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea, P."

Two more mojitos down, JJ was still trying to talk her into leaving.

"This thing is soooo good," she said, stirring the drink with the swizzle stick. She leaned closer to JJ, whispering conspiratorily, "Kissing a man when you've had one is even better. There's something about it. Like mouthwash, with a kick."

"Really?" A good looking blonde man asked, standing over her shoulder. "I'd like to try that out."

Penelope looked, pushing her glasses up on her nose, trying to avoid the fuzzy glare she saw through her lenses. He was holding a beer in his hands. She squished up her nose. "Nope. You have beer. That wouldn't work. When I was kissing my Hot Stuff, we both had mojitos."

The man leered at her. "That's easily remedied, gorgeous. Hey!"

The waitress stopped by, and he ordered two more mojitos.

JJ heard who she said she kissed, and knew this was not what Penelope wanted. Whatever happened between her and Derek needed to be fixed. She tried to get her to leave again. "Pen, we should go," JJ said, standing closer to her.

"Hey, blondie," the man said, scowling at JJ. He draped an arm around P's shoulders. "Leave her alone. She's doing just fine."

"Hey!" Penelope said, giving what she hoped was a fierce scowl to the man. "No insulting my friend."

"No, no," he said, holding his hands up in defeat. "I wouldn't do that, honey."

JJ stepped away, flipping open her phone. She hit some buttons, plugged one ear, then walked out the door.

The blonde man, whom Penelope learned was named Elliot, was sitting across from her, drinking a mojito. He was very charming, very complimentary and very suave. She didn't touch the drink he put in front of her; she'd had so many, her head was spinning already.

"Where'd JJ go?" she said, looking around for her blonde friend.

"How is it someone like you ends up here, single, drinking alone?" he asked, his soulful green eyes sparkling at her.

"I'm not really single," she said, then frowned at him. "But I'm not really taken, either. It's really an odd situation. See, there's this guy, my Hot Stuff I've loved forever-" She started looking around. "Where's JJ?"

"JJ your boyfriend?" he asked.

She giggled. "No! JJ's my friend."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked, arching a brow.

"That's what my Hot Stuff does," she said, touching his brow with a wistful sigh. "He can say so much with a crook of an eyebrow. I love his eyebrows."

"This Hot Stuff," Elliot said, smiling at her. "That is your boyfriend?"

"No, no, not my boyfriend." She shook her head to make her point, feeling dizzy. Then she felt really sad, so sad she wanted to cry. She teared up. "I don't know what I am to him or what he is to me. That's the problem. The bloody awful truth."

Elliot leaned closer, putting his hands on her face. "Poor baby."

"I suggest you remove your hands," a deceptively calm voice said from behind her. "Now."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_AN: To my sweet and beautiful friend, Sharon. Get well soon, I miss you! Thank you, Ms. Jen, for being there (Even though I am an angsty b****!); you rock! For everyone else: Almost there... Warning: Strong Sexual Content._

Penelope looked over her shoulder to see her absolutely gorgeous, absolutely wonderful, absolutely furious Hot Stuff standing there. Standing next to the other man, Derek looked absolutely huge, too. He had the darkest scowl on his face and he was staring at the other poor man.

She glanced back at Elliot. He looked exactly like he'd swallowed his liver. The blonde man dropped his hands and stepped away. He held up his hands to Derek, taking two steps backward. "Hey, I thought she was-"

"Whatever you thought was wrong," Derek snapped sharply. "You do not get to touch her. She's mine."

Elliot would have to be the stupidest man on earth to say anything back to the much bigger, much angrier man in front of him. He was obviously not stupid. He quickly turned and walked away, leaving his unfinished mojito, a small amount of cash, and his Blackberry on the table.

She looked back at Derek. He was looking at her now, giving her one of the fiercest looks she had seen from him. She shivered from the intensity.

She swallowed. "Hot Stuff,-"

"Get up," Derek ordered, interrupting her. He obviously didn't want her to say anything at the moment. She was okay with that; she didn't want to cause a scene.

She stumbled to her feet, nearly tripping on her leopard print high heels. Derek put his arm around her waist, half carrying, half dragging her out the door. They were moving so fast, she couldn't even see the people around her.

Once they stepped outside, she heard a familiar voice. "You got her?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the call, JJ," Derek said, lifting Penelope into the front seat of his SUV. He gave her a look, basically telling her not to move, then he slammed the door shut.

Penelope watched Derek and JJ have some sort of quick conversation before he climbed back into his truck. He took off down the road in the direction of his house. He was completely quiet. She never seen him look quite so irritated.

"Derek?" she began questioningly.

"Don't say a damn word," he said, scowling at the road as he sped ahead. A muscle in his jaw was ticking; he was that angry.

Penelope gulped, feeling bad, then started getting mad herself. She hadn't done anything wrong. "Oh, this is just great. Perfect. We never talk anyway; why start now?"

Derek pulled over to the side of the road. He turned to look at her, his face an absolute study in rage. It made her wish she hadn't asked to talk right now. Sometimes, he knew best.

His voice was low, barely tempered. "You told that bastard you didn't know _what_ I was to you."

"I didn't-"

"Oh, yes, you did, damn it!" he growled at her. "I was standing there. I _heard_ you."

Derek didn't say anything else. He pulled back on the road, driving even faster.

Now she felt awful. Her stomach hurt, and it had nothing to do with the mojitos she drunk. He was right. She did know what he was. There was no doubt; he was the man she loved. He was who she would always love. She should've told that blonde Cassanova her heart was taken, because it was, regardless of what was verbalized between her and Morgan. Instead, she let her insecurities talk.

The minute he pulled into his driveway, he shut the truck off. He opened his door, ran over to her side and pulled her out.

"So you don't know what I am," he muttered, hauling her into his arms against his chest. He didn't wait a second. He simply kissed her, a mad, swirling, passionate kiss that curled her toes. It was insane how much passion was in that one kiss. She slumped against his chest.

"In case you were wondering, in case you needed a fucking clue on how to answer the next guy," he growled, looking into her heavily lidded eyes, "I'm your lover, and I'm the only one for you."

He lowered his head, then continued to kiss her, his mouth hot and delicious, sensuously drawing energy from her. She hung on for dear life, shaking with intensity.

"Want more?" he questioned, looking down at her. ""I'm the man who wants you more than life itself. More than my own damn life."

She couldn't answer. Her knees went immediately weak, and her head spun. He held her tight, continuing to kiss her, giving her no quarter against the onslaught of his mouth. She held on, kissing him back.

He scooped her up into his arms. "Got it? Or do you need further explanation?"

He opened the door, walked in, kicked it shut, and carried her down the hall. His kisses were forceful, intense. There was no doubt; he was claiming her as his. It was what she wanted more than anything on this earth.

He carried her down the hallway, laid her on the bed, then covered her with his body. He kissed her with desperation and longing, sweeping his tongue into her mouth. The heat overtook her yet again. She arched against him, moaning. He was moaning, too.

He moved his hand under her skirt, reached the edge of her panties. With a rough tug, he tore them off. He moved his fingers between her legs, finding her wet, wanting.

"Oh, God, Penelope," he breathed against her neck. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"Derek," she gasped against his mouth, before he kissed her yet again. She needed to speak, to think, and she couldn't. She wanted him so badly, her head and her heart were swimming with need for him. She knew exactly what it felt like to be completely consumed by desire.

She felt him reach and heard the rustling of fabric, the unzipping of his pants. A moment later, he thrust into her, so deeply she jolted with the sensation. His forehead rested against hers for just a moment, as if he were savoring the feel of being engulfed by her, too.

"Do you know what you are to me? You have to know," he pleaded, his voice rough and raw with emotion. He lifted his head to look into her eyes. " You're mine, Baby Girl. Only mine."

"Yes," she said, shivering, feeling dizzy and faint with the roaring sensations going through her. Too many emotions, too many feelings were overwhelming her. She leaned forward to kiss his lips again, to be lost in the spell only he could create with her.

With that, he began to thrust, deeper, harder. He filled her completely, like he was made exactly for her. She locked her legs around his waist, holding him tighter within herself. He moved faster, his hands moving under her bottom, lifting her to meet every downward thrust he made.

She started to clench around him, crying out in cataclysmic ecstasy. A moment later, she felt him stiffen, holding her tightly, coming deep within her in wet surges. She clung onto him, panting, shaking, until she collapsed back against the bed, and saw nothing but black.

* * *

Penelope woke the next morning in the bed by herself. She was wearing her shirt, bra and skirt from last night, and her head was starting to ache. The pillow next to her where Derek usually slept did not have an indentation in it. He hadn't slept next to her.

She sat up, wondering where he was. Last night was different than all the other times they'd ever made love. It was easily the most intense moment of her life. Derek was always fantastic when they made love, but this time, there was no doubt what he was trying to say. She belonged to him. He needed her and wanted her. All of that added up to one thing that made her heart absolutely sing. He loved her.

He loved her. He had said he loved her, and she didn't doubt it for a moment. What was more important was _how_ he'd said the words, like they were wrung from his very soul. She never got the chance to say it back last night, but she would remedy that immediately when she saw him.

It was also the only time besides the sauna Derek hadn't used a condom. She knew she should've asked him to pull out or told him to use a condom, but she didn't care. He had been too wrapped up in everything, too, to think about it. She didn't know if this was a safe time or not, but it didn't matter. She should be nervous about it, but she wasn't. She would love to have his baby, a part of him. She loved him, too.

She heard a knocking on the bedroom door. That was strange; Derek never knocked. She swallowed. "Come in."

Derek was already dressed and looked freshly showered. He came in, smiling a little at her. "Hi Penelope."

She looked up at him. He looked so good. She thought she must look like hell. Her hair was messy, her mouth tasted foul, she smelled like old mojitos. It wasn't a good combination.

"Hi, handsome."

"Can I sit?" he asked, gesturing to the bed next to her.

She couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. He looked so tense, sad. After last night, she thought he'd be feeling the opposite. She wanted to belong to him, she'd given herself completely to him. He had to know how much she loved him.

She quirked a grin at him, thinking if she teased it may help the situation. "'Course you can. It's your bed, love bug."

He sat and sighed, his smile fading. "Penelope, we need to talk."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

_AN: We're there! Just one more chapter, I think (I need to answer the question, right?)....  
_

"Penelope, we need to talk."

Penelope felt her heart jump into her throat. No woman in the world ever wanted to hear those words from a man. Looking at Derek this morning, she felt very apprehensive. He looked extremely unhappy, filled with regret, and was acting standoffish. He hadn't slept next to her, he'd just _knocked_ for goodness sake, he'd asked permission to sit by her. Adding up everything, she was coming to bad conclusions.

She couldn't figure out what was wrong. She was feeling so good after last night. Last night, Derek had done what she always wanted him to do, he'd declared he loved her. He'd seemed to want her so badly; she had no doubt how much he wanted her. More than that, he had seemed to want to own all of her. She was sure when Derek had made love to her last night, he was giving her a piece of his soul. It was beautiful, raw, and intense.

If anything, she was even more certain about how much she loved him.

"We have a lot to talk about, Penelope." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I want to start by saying I am sorry about last night. I shouldn't have.... I lost control, and I'm sorry."

Her heart sunk. He was apologizing for that beautiful expression of love they'd shared last night. She needed to stop that this second. "No, don't be sorry. It was wonderful, Derek."

For a moment, he stared at her. It was obvious he was thinking about last night, too. The heat rose in his eyes, but he tamped it down.

He sighed, sounding defeated to her ears. "Penelope, this isn't easy to say…."

Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened immediately. "Oh, my God. You're dumping me."

"No," he said, looking away from her. "I'm just verifying what you said before we started this. Being good in bed… shit." He ran a hand over his face. "I don't want us staying together just because we get off every time we get together."

"You don't want to be with me," she said, her heart shattering. "That's dumping."

"I thought it would be enough. I thought-"

She stared at him, her heart breaking. Her voice was tiny. "I can't believe you're dumping me."

His eyes flashed. "Please be honest, Penelope. I think you dumped me before we even started this."

She frowned back. "What do you mean?"

"Come on," he said, starting to scowl. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to relax. "You said it in the beginning. I'm not what you want."

She was completely confused. "When did I say that?"

"That first morning after we had sex. You didn't even want to try with me, to give it a chance." He glanced over at her. "You said you knew it wouldn't work. You certainly didn't want to try a relationship with someone like me."

"I didn't mean it that way," she said, trying to explain. "Derek, I-"

"I can't do this anymore," he interrupted her, standing up. "I'm done trying. I'm tired."

"I'm tired, too," she said, her eyes flooding with tears. "I am so tired when I fight with you."

He looked at her and gave her a wistful smile. "I used to share everything with you; now we barely talk. This isn't what I wanted, P. When we started this, I hoped...." He trailed off.

"What did you hope, Derek?" she asked, pleading.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter what I wanted."

"It matters to me!" she cried, looking at him with her heart in her eyes.

Derek looked at her, really looked, and saw his own heart reflected in her eyes. "Oh, God, Penelope…"

"Tell me, please," she said, big wet tears falling down her face.

He sat next to her, holding her hand. "I hoped for some sign you wanted to give this a chance," he said, swallowing hard. "I hoped you might want to be mine."

"I do want to be yours," she said, her voice cracking, "more than anything on this earth."

"I want that, too," he said, reaching out and holding her hand. The warmth from his palm warmed her aching heart. "So much so I wanted to claim you any way I can. I wanted to make you love me." He gave a little laugh, holding her face in his hands. "It doesn't work that way."

"You didn't have to make me love you," she said, smiling through her tears. "I've always loved you."

"Damn, woman," he said, his voice husky with emotion. "I need you, more than I've ever needed anyone in my life."

"Derek, I'm so sorry," she said. "I thought... I remember..." She looked away, swallowed hard, and forced herself to continue. "I thought I was temporary."

He frowned at her. "Why did you think that?"

"I've listened to you for the past six years," she said, shrugging. "You told me so many times you didn't want to settle down. Youdidn't want to_ change your ways_. I wanted this, but I didn't think you did."

"I didn't want this. I didn't want to settle down, because I couldn't have the woman I wanted. I didn't want just any woman," he said, cupping her face again in his hands. "I wanted you."

She let the impact of his words sink in, closing her eyes and smiling to herself. It seemed unbelievable that he'd wanted her for so long. Lord, she was blind. She thought of all the love and compassion and desire she felt for him over the years, and how it was reflected in him now.

She opened her eyes. He gave her a gentle kiss, just brushing his lips over hers.

"I love our friendship. I will be forever grateful we started as friends, but I need more." He paused, meeting her eyes so she couldn't mistake his meaning. "I've _always _needed more, Penelope."

"I need you, too," she said softly. "And I love you, so much."

He smiled, his heart shining in his eyes exactly like hers was. He kissed her, strong and hard and full of promise and passion. She sighed and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his heart.

"I've wanted you for so long," he said, rubbing her back with his hands. He gave a laugh. "For years, sweetheart, I've had such a crush on you. You and those low cut shirts and that dirty mouth…. I have no idea how you didn't know."

She looked up and smiled at him, a huge beaming smile across her face. "_Au contraire, mon cher_. I was the one with the crush on _you_. You were my god of sculpted chocolate thunder, sexy, gorgeous, perfect-"

"Those last three words sound exactly like you, my vanilla Goddess," he interrupted, touching the tip of her nose.

"In my wildest dreams, I didn't think it was reciprocated." She grinned at him, "Now, some of my dirtiest fantasies, hells yes."

"Baby, you need to believe it always," he said. "I've been in love with you forever."

"Holy cow," she said, shaking her head with a chuckle. "It's almost too good to be true."

"No," he said. "It's good because it is true."

Then he kissed her again, in celebration of friendship, passion and love.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_AN: Posting this a little early tonight. Thank you for reading my story. I think you all are the most wonderful reviewers out there. Bright blessings to everyone. Working on my next thing. May take a couple of days. It's my anniversary... hanging with my own personal Morgan! (Story fodder!- hee hee)_

It was a day like any other at the BAU. There was a lot going on, but the team simply needed a break. They were just sitting around, discussing things.

Except for Rossi and Reid. They were still debating the issue of "genders and friendship," as Reid put it, and "sexual relations," as Rossi put it. Both men considered themselves correct on the matter; no one was changing either of their minds.

"You know," Rossi said, scowling at the young genius, "I am getting sick and tired of listening to you on this."

"If you'd merely pay attention to the statistics I printed for you, you'd clearly-"

"Oh, that?" Rossi interrupted, grinning evilly. "That bathroom reading material you gave me?"

"Just let it die, Reid," Hotch said, shaking his head with a chuckle. "You're not going to win against Dave. He's an old bull."

"I think Hotch has a point there, Reid." Prentiss was chuckling, too.

The look on Reid's face was priceless. He was peeved, but he also was hiding a laugh. Whatever happened, no matter how they argued, they were all family.

Derek was sitting there quietly, holding his phone. He was texting his Baby Girl. She was in her office, still working diligently. She was in the middle of a file, otherwise she would've been hanging out with them.

It had been another month since they'd declared their feelings for each other, but they hadn't said anything to the team. They wanted some time to themselves to enjoy being in love, without having to worry about comments from the peanut gallery. Derek was damned sick of this stupid argument; he wanted to put an end to it once and for all.

__

Hey BG. Plz come. I need you.

He waited a minute before the phone buzzed. _We can't do that here anyway, HS. U have 2 wait._

He shook his head. _Bad girl. Get your ass out here._

"What are you so wrapped up in?" JJ asked, looking over at him.

He smiled up at JJ with a wicked grin. She was the only one who knew about them.

She rolled her eyes. "I should've known."

Moments later, Penelope came out of her office and walked into the bullpen area. Derek was sitting in one of the empty desk chairs. He motioned for her to come over to him.

"What do you need, Hot Stuff?"

"This," he said, pulling her in front of him. He stood up, lifted her to sit on the empty desk, and started kissing the living daylights out of her in front of every person sitting there. This was no little kiss, more NC-17 than PG rated.

It took him a good long time before he finally ended the kiss. Penelope had her arms around his shoulders, and glanced around at the rest of the group.

"I knew it!" Emily said, laughing. "Morgan, you are so full of shit."

"Morgan, refrain from ever doing that again on company time," Hotch said with a growl. "Meeting, boardroom, in five." Then he simply left the room.

JJ just smiled.

Rossi crowed with delight, clapping Reid on the shoulder. "Defeat is a bitter pill, isn't it, kid?"

Reid just looked like someone kicked his puppy.

Morgan shook his head. "You're wrong, Rossi."

Dave was leaving the room. He stopped and looked back at them, raising an eyebrow. "I think it's obvious with that display, I'm right."

"No, men and women can be friends," he said, smiling warmly into Penelope's eyes. "And best friends can become lovers and fiancées. Everyone starts out as friends, but best friends become the best of everything."

"Oh, Sweet Cheeks," Penelope said, leaning up to give him a kiss. The ring on her left hand was glistening under the fluroescent lights of the bullpen. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, kissing her one more time. Then he lifted her down from the desk and swatted her butt. "Back to work."

She saluted him. "Aye, aye, captain."

She walked with an exaggerated hip sway back to her office. Derek grinned, shook his head, and left for the meeting.


End file.
